Informal employment in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Informal employment was 5,275 in 2024. ▬ Flat
Informal employment in Sri Lanka, 2010–2024
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
In 2024, informal employment in Sri Lanka stood at 5,275.
The figure is down 2.5% on the previous year and up 1.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, informal employment in Sri Lanka peaked at 5,591 in 2017 and was at its lowest, 5,177, in 2014.
Sri Lanka ranks 25th of 81 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Informal employment in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 5,463 | — |
| 2011 | 5,378 | -1.6% |
| 2013 | 5,220 | -2.9% |
| 2014 | 5,177 | -0.8% |
| 2015 | 5,442 | +5.1% |
| 2016 | 5,542 | +1.8% |
| 2017 | 5,591 | +0.9% |
| 2018 | 5,445 | -2.6% |
| 2019 | 5,454 | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 5,355 | -1.8% |
| 2021 | 5,470 | +2.1% |
| 2022 | 5,455 | -0.3% |
| 2023 | 5,412 | -0.8% |
| 2024 | 5,275 | -2.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 5,413 | 5,177 | 5,591 | 9 |
| 2020s | 5,393 | 5,275 | 5,470 | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
More work & labour data for Sri Lanka
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.5555 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.5407 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.5702 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.3 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 1.6 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 6,575 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 14,218 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 10,672 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 10,578 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 21,249 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is informal employment in Sri Lanka?
- Informal employment in Sri Lanka was 5,275 in 2024, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest informal employment recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 5,591 in 2017.
- What is the lowest informal employment recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 5,177 in 2014.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for informal employment?
- Sri Lanka ranks 25th out of 81 countries with data for 2024.
- Is informal employment rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Informal employment (previous ILO definition - ICLS13). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
With the aim of promoting international comparability, statistics presented on ILOSTAT are based on standard international definitions wherever feasible and may differ from official national figures. This series is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. For time series comparability, it includes countries that have implemented the 19th ICLS standards, for which data are also available in the Work Statistics -- 19th ICLS (WORK) database. This harmonized series for informal employment is derived using the same set of criteria across countries to improve comparability. The criteria used are based on employment status, institutional sector, destination of production, bookkeeping, registration, social security contribution, places of work and size. Data disaggregated by occupation are provided according to the latest version of the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO). Data may have been regrouped from the national classifications, which may not be strictly compatible with ISCO. For more information, refer to the Labour Force Statistics (LFS and STLFS) database description.