Informal employment rate in Brazil
Brazil: Informal employment rate was 35.62 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Informal employment rate in Brazil, 2009–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
In 2025, informal employment rate in Brazil stood at 35.62. That is the lowest value across all 16 years on record.
The figure is down 2.4% on the previous year and down 11.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, informal employment rate in Brazil peaked at 46.8 in 2009 and was at its lowest, 35.62, in 2025.
Brazil ranks 41st of 81 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 16 years of available data.
Informal employment rate in Brazil, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 46.8 | — |
| 2011 | 42.71 | -8.7% |
| 2012 | 41.62 | -2.6% |
| 2013 | 40.41 | -2.9% |
| 2014 | 40.72 | +0.8% |
| 2015 | 40.44 | -0.7% |
| 2016 | 36.91 | -8.7% |
| 2017 | 38.19 | +3.5% |
| 2018 | 38.69 | +1.3% |
| 2019 | 38.91 | +0.6% |
| 2020 | 36.73 | -5.6% |
| 2021 | 38.28 | +4.2% |
| 2022 | 37.63 | -1.7% |
| 2023 | 37.03 | -1.6% |
| 2024 | 36.5 | -1.4% |
| 2025 | 35.62 | -2.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 46.8 | 46.8 | 46.8 | 1 |
| 2010s | 39.85 | 36.91 | 42.71 | 9 |
| 2020s | 36.97 | 35.62 | 38.28 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Brazil
- 38 Grenada 48.05 compare
- 39 Mongolia 37.24 compare
- 40 Costa Rica 36.11 compare
- 42 South Africa 34.81 compare
- 43 Uruguay 32.7 compare
- 44 Saint Lucia 29.21 compare
More work & labour data for Brazil
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.7328 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.7065 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.7581 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.74 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.1001 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 215,063 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 17,625 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 82,304 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 81,060 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 163,364 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is informal employment rate in Brazil?
- Informal employment rate in Brazil was 35.62 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest informal employment rate recorded in Brazil?
- The highest recorded value was 46.8 in 2009.
- What is the lowest informal employment rate recorded in Brazil?
- The lowest recorded value was 35.62 in 2025.
- How does Brazil rank for informal employment rate?
- Brazil ranks 41st out of 81 countries with data for 2025.
- Is informal employment rate rising or falling in Brazil?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Brazil data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Informal employment rate (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 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.