Informal employment rate in Asia and the Pacific
Asia and the Pacific: Informal employment rate was 65.49 in 2027. ▼ Falling
Informal employment rate in Asia and the Pacific, 2004–2027
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
The most recent figure for informal employment rate in Asia and the Pacific is 65.49, measured in 2027.
That represents a change of down 0.3% on the previous year and down 0.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, informal employment rate in Asia and the Pacific peaked at 71.86 in 2004 and was at its lowest, 65.12, in 2019.
That places Asia and the Pacific 26th out of 87 groups with data for 2027, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.
Informal employment rate in Asia and the Pacific, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 71.86 | — |
| 2005 | 70.89 | -1.3% |
| 2006 | 70.5 | -0.5% |
| 2007 | 69.96 | -0.8% |
| 2008 | 69.72 | -0.3% |
| 2009 | 69.42 | -0.4% |
| 2010 | 68.76 | -0.9% |
| 2011 | 68.16 | -0.9% |
| 2012 | 67.77 | -0.6% |
| 2013 | 67.12 | -1.0% |
| 2014 | 66.89 | -0.3% |
| 2015 | 66.36 | -0.8% |
| 2016 | 65.98 | -0.6% |
| 2017 | 65.71 | -0.4% |
| 2018 | 65.22 | -0.8% |
| 2019 | 65.12 | -0.1% |
| 2020 | 65.17 | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 65.69 | +0.8% |
| 2022 | 65.64 | -0.1% |
| 2023 | 65.8 | +0.2% |
| 2024 | 65.9 | +0.1% |
| 2025 | 65.93 | +0.1% |
| 2026 | 65.72 | -0.3% |
| 2027 | 65.49 | -0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 70.39 | 69.42 | 71.86 | 6 |
| 2010s | 66.71 | 65.12 | 68.76 | 10 |
| 2020s | 65.67 | 65.17 | 65.93 | 8 |
More work & labour data for Asia and the Pacific
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 2.15 million (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 60.05 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 1.43 million (2027)
- Labour dependency ratio 1.19 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP 41,790 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2015 US $ 19,789 (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 57.58 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 1.53 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate 0.7302 % change on previous year (2027)
- Employment (ILO modelled estimates) 2.04 million (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is informal employment rate in Asia and the Pacific?
- Informal employment rate in Asia and the Pacific was 65.49 in 2027, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest informal employment rate recorded in Asia and the Pacific?
- The highest recorded value was 71.86 in 2004.
- What is the lowest informal employment rate recorded in Asia and the Pacific?
- The lowest recorded value was 65.12 in 2019.
- How does Asia and the Pacific rank for informal employment rate?
- Asia and the Pacific ranks 26th out of 87 groups with data for 2027.
- Is informal employment rate rising or falling in Asia and the Pacific?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Asia and the Pacific data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Informal employment rate (ILO modelled estimates). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).
About this data
Imputed observations are not based on national data, are subject to high uncertainty and should not be used for country comparisons or rankings. This series is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. Informal employment comprises persons who in their main or secondary jobs were (a) own-account workers, employers and members of producers' cooperatives employed in their own informal sector enterprises; (b) own-account workers engaged in the production of goods exclusively for own final use by their household (e.g. subsistence farming); (c) contributing family workers, regardless of whether they work in formal or informal sector enterprises; or (d) employees holding informal jobs, whether employed by formal sector enterprises, informal sector enterprises, or as paid domestic workers by households. For more information, refer to the ILO Modelled Estimates (ILOEST) database description.