Informal employment rate (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) in India
India: Informal employment rate (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) was 87.2 in 2025. ▬ Flat
Informal employment rate (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) in India, 2012–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
In 2025, informal employment rate (previous ilo definition - icls13) in India stood at 87.2. That is the lowest value across all 9 years on record.
That represents a change of down 1.1% on the previous year and down 3.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, informal employment rate (previous ilo definition - icls13) in India peaked at 89.99 in 2012 and was at its lowest, 87.2, in 2025.
India ranks 7th of 44 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Informal employment rate (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) in India, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 89.99 | — |
| 2018 | 88.45 | -1.7% |
| 2019 | 88.76 | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 89.31 | +0.6% |
| 2021 | 88.72 | -0.7% |
| 2022 | 88.86 | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 88.58 | -0.3% |
| 2024 | 88.13 | -0.5% |
| 2025 | 87.2 | -1.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 89.07 | 88.45 | 89.99 | 3 |
| 2020s | 88.46 | 87.2 | 89.31 | 6 |
Countries ranked near India
More work & labour data for India
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.5076 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.5076 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.5078 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.12 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 1.47 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 876,613 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 782,365 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 743,542 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 761,710 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 1.51 million 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is informal employment rate (previous ilo definition - icls13) in India?
- Informal employment rate (previous ilo definition - icls13) in India was 87.2 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest informal employment rate (previous ilo definition - icls13) recorded in India?
- The highest recorded value was 89.99 in 2012.
- What is the lowest informal employment rate (previous ilo definition - icls13) recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 87.2 in 2025.
- How does India rank for informal employment rate (previous ilo definition - icls13)?
- India ranks 7th out of 44 countries with data for 2025.
- Is informal employment rate (previous ilo definition - icls13) rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this India data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Informal employment rate (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) (15+). 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 economic activity are provided according to the latest version of the International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities (ISIC) available for that year. Data may have been regrouped from national classifications, which may not be strictly compatible with ISIC. For more information, refer to the Labour Force Statistics (LFS and STLFS) database description.