Informal employment rate in Estonia
Estonia: Informal employment rate was 6.1 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Informal employment rate in Estonia, 2007–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
The most recent figure for informal employment rate in Estonia is 6.1, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.0% on the previous year and up 144.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, informal employment rate in Estonia peaked at 8.45 in 2021 and was at its lowest, 0.909, in 2018.
That places Estonia 60th out of 81 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Informal employment rate in Estonia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 3.91 | — |
| 2008 | 2.21 | -43.4% |
| 2009 | 1.61 | -27.1% |
| 2010 | 2.04 | +26.8% |
| 2011 | 2.29 | +12.0% |
| 2012 | 2.31 | +0.9% |
| 2013 | 1.43 | -38.0% |
| 2014 | 2.18 | +52.0% |
| 2015 | 2.5 | +14.9% |
| 2016 | 2.19 | -12.4% |
| 2017 | 2.01 | -8.2% |
| 2018 | 0.909 | -54.8% |
| 2019 | 2.3 | +152.6% |
| 2020 | 2.47 | +7.4% |
| 2021 | 8.45 | +242.7% |
| 2022 | 8.08 | -4.4% |
| 2023 | 6.68 | -17.3% |
| 2024 | 5.98 | -10.4% |
| 2025 | 6.1 | +2.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 2.58 | 1.61 | 3.91 | 3 |
| 2010s | 2.02 | 0.909 | 2.5 | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.29 | 2.47 | 8.45 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Estonia
More work & labour data for Estonia
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.67 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.6763 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.6638 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.77 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate -0.1039 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 885.23 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 259.52 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 417.66 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 407.84 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 825.5 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is informal employment rate in Estonia?
- Informal employment rate in Estonia was 6.1 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest informal employment rate recorded in Estonia?
- The highest recorded value was 8.45 in 2021.
- What is the lowest informal employment rate recorded in Estonia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.909 in 2018.
- How does Estonia rank for informal employment rate?
- Estonia ranks 60th out of 81 countries with data for 2025.
- Is informal employment rate rising or falling in Estonia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 144.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Estonia 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.