Informal employment rate in Western Asia

Western Asia: Informal employment rate was 27.68 in 2027. ▼ Falling

Latest (2027)
27.68
Change on year
down 0.9%
Rank
62nd
of 87 groups
All-time high
47.41
in 2004
All-time low
27.68
in 2027
Years of data
24
2004–2027

Informal employment rate in Western Asia, 2004–2027

010203040502004201520272004: 47.42005: 45.82006: 44.72007: 43.32008: 41.52009: 42.12010: 41.72011: 412012: 38.62013: 36.92014: 35.72015: 34.62016: 34.22017: 34.32018: 33.92019: 342020: 31.42021: 30.32022: 28.72023: 282024: 28.22025: 28.22026: 27.92027: 27.7

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

Western Asia recorded 27.68 for informal employment rate in 2027. That is the lowest value across all 24 years on record.

The figure is down 0.9% on the previous year and down 19.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, informal employment rate in Western Asia peaked at 47.41 in 2004 and was at its lowest, 27.68, in 2027.

Western Asia ranks 62nd of 87 groups on this measure, 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 Western Asia, year by year

Annual values for Informal employment rate (ILO modelled estimates) in Western Asia, 2004 to 2027.
Year Value Change
2004 47.41 —
2005 45.82 -3.3%
2006 44.74 -2.4%
2007 43.29 -3.2%
2008 41.49 -4.1%
2009 42.08 +1.4%
2010 41.74 -0.8%
2011 40.96 -1.9%
2012 38.59 -5.8%
2013 36.9 -4.4%
2014 35.71 -3.2%
2015 34.55 -3.2%
2016 34.25 -0.9%
2017 34.33 +0.2%
2018 33.85 -1.4%
2019 34.04 +0.5%
2020 31.45 -7.6%
2021 30.31 -3.6%
2022 28.72 -5.3%
2023 27.98 -2.5%
2024 28.2 +0.8%
2025 28.2 -0.0%
2026 27.94 -0.9%
2027 27.68 -0.9%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 44.14 41.49 47.41 6
2010s 36.49 33.85 41.74 10
2020s 28.81 27.68 31.45 8

More work & labour data for Western Asia

All data for Western Asia →

Frequently asked questions

What is informal employment rate in Western Asia?
Informal employment rate in Western Asia was 27.68 in 2027, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest informal employment rate recorded in Western Asia?
The highest recorded value was 47.41 in 2004.
What is the lowest informal employment rate recorded in Western Asia?
The lowest recorded value was 27.68 in 2027.
How does Western Asia rank for informal employment rate?
Western Asia ranks 62nd out of 87 groups with data for 2027.
Is informal employment rate rising or falling in Western Asia?
Over the last ten years it is down 19.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Western Asia 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.

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Informal employment rate in Western Asia. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 26 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/informal-employment-rate-ilo-modelled-estimates/western-asia/

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About this data

Indicator
Informal employment rate (ILO modelled estimates)
Source
International Labour Organization
Licence
ILO Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
87 places, 2,088 data points, 2004–2027
Last refreshed

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.