Informal employment rate in Ireland
Ireland: Informal employment rate was 3.42 in 2025. ◆ Volatile
Informal employment rate in Ireland, 2007–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
Ireland recorded 3.42 for informal employment rate in 2025.
That represents a change of down 12.2% on the previous year and down 8.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, informal employment rate in Ireland peaked at 10.75 in 2010 and was at its lowest, 1.17, in 2020.
That places Ireland 68th out of 81 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Informal employment rate in Ireland, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 10.16 | — |
| 2008 | 8.94 | -12.0% |
| 2009 | 7.38 | -17.4% |
| 2010 | 10.75 | +45.6% |
| 2011 | 6.76 | -37.1% |
| 2012 | 3.53 | -47.9% |
| 2013 | 5.17 | +46.6% |
| 2014 | 6.04 | +16.9% |
| 2015 | 3.75 | -38.0% |
| 2016 | 3.51 | -6.5% |
| 2017 | 3.41 | -2.8% |
| 2018 | 3.41 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 1.41 | -58.6% |
| 2020 | 1.17 | -16.9% |
| 2021 | 1.99 | +69.7% |
| 2022 | 3.13 | +57.0% |
| 2023 | 3.16 | +1.1% |
| 2024 | 3.9 | +23.2% |
| 2025 | 3.42 | -12.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 8.83 | 7.38 | 10.16 | 3 |
| 2010s | 4.77 | 1.41 | 10.75 | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.79 | 1.17 | 3.9 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
More work & labour data for Ireland
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.4488 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.4574 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.4405 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.23 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.9335 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 4,354 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 1,447 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 2,638 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 2,649 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 5,286 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is informal employment rate in Ireland?
- Informal employment rate in Ireland was 3.42 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest informal employment rate recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 10.75 in 2010.
- What is the lowest informal employment rate recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.17 in 2020.
- How does Ireland rank for informal employment rate?
- Ireland ranks 68th out of 81 countries with data for 2025.
- Is informal employment rate rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Ireland 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.