Proportion of informal employment, by sector and sex - 13th ICLS in Eastern Asia

Eastern Asia: Proportion of informal employment, by sector and sex - 13th ICLS was 47.7% in 2025. ▼ Falling

Latest (2025)
47.7%
Change on year
down 0.1%
Rank
22nd
of 36 groups
All-time high
57.7%
in 2004
All-time low
47.7%
in 2025
Years of data
22
2004–2025

Proportion of informal employment, by sector and sex - 13th ICLS in Eastern Asia, 2004–2025

02040602004201420252004: 57.72005: 56.52006: 562007: 55.32008: 54.92009: 54.42010: 53.82011: 52.82012: 52.32013: 50.92014: 50.52015: 49.92016: 49.32017: 48.92018: 48.32019: 482020: 47.72021: 48.52022: 47.92023: 47.82024: 47.72025: 47.7

Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.

Analysis

Eastern Asia recorded 47.7% for proportion of informal employment, by sector and sex - 13th icls in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 22 years on record.

That represents a change of down 0.1% on the previous year and down 4.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, proportion of informal employment, by sector and sex - 13th icls in Eastern Asia peaked at 57.7% in 2004 and was at its lowest, 47.7%, in 2025.

That places Eastern Asia 22nd out of 36 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 22 years of available data.

Proportion of informal employment, by sector and sex - 13th ICLS in Eastern Asia, year by year

Annual values for Proportion of informal employment, by sector and sex - 13th ICLS (%) in Eastern Asia, 2004 to 2025.
Year Value Change
2004 57.7%
2005 56.5% -2.0%
2006 56.0% -1.0%
2007 55.3% -1.1%
2008 54.9% -0.8%
2009 54.4% -0.9%
2010 53.8% -1.1%
2011 52.8% -1.9%
2012 52.3% -1.0%
2013 50.9% -2.6%
2014 50.5% -0.8%
2015 49.9% -1.3%
2016 49.3% -1.1%
2017 48.9% -0.9%
2018 48.3% -1.1%
2019 48.0% -0.5%
2020 47.7% -0.7%
2021 48.5% +1.7%
2022 47.9% -1.4%
2023 47.8% -0.1%
2024 47.7% -0.2%
2025 47.7% -0.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 55.8% 54.4% 57.7% 6
2010s 50.5% 48.0% 53.8% 10
2020s 47.9% 47.7% 48.5% 6

Countries ranked near Eastern Asia

  1. 19 Guatemala 75.9% compare
  2. 20 Botswana 75.6% compare
  3. 21 Peru 70.5% compare
  4. 22 Egypt 68.6% compare
  5. 23 Ecuador 68.5% compare
  6. 24 Sri Lanka 67.6% compare
  7. 25 Viet Nam 67.0% compare
  8. 25 Viet Nam 67.0% compare

See the full ranking of 128 places →

More work & labour data for Eastern Asia

All data for Eastern Asia →

Frequently asked questions

What is proportion of informal employment, by sector and sex - 13th icls in Eastern Asia?
Proportion of informal employment, by sector and sex - 13th icls in Eastern Asia was 47.7% in 2025, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
What is the highest proportion of informal employment, by sector and sex - 13th icls recorded in Eastern Asia?
The highest recorded value was 57.7% in 2004.
What is the lowest proportion of informal employment, by sector and sex - 13th icls recorded in Eastern Asia?
The lowest recorded value was 47.7% in 2025.
How does Eastern Asia rank for proportion of informal employment, by sector and sex - 13th icls?
Eastern Asia ranks 22nd out of 36 groups with data for 2025.
Is proportion of informal employment, by sector and sex - 13th icls rising or falling in Eastern Asia?
Over the last ten years it is down 4.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Eastern Asia data come from?
The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Proportion of informal employment, by sector and sex - 13th ICLS (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Proportion of informal employment, by sector and sex - 13th ICLS in Eastern Asia. Statizoid, drawing on United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Retrieved 15 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/proportion-of-informal-employment-by-sector-and-sex-13th-icls-percent/eastern-asia/

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About this data

Indicator
Proportion of informal employment, by sector and sex - 13th ICLS (%)
Source
United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database
Licence
UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested)
Coverage
128 places, 2,151 data points, 2000–2025
Last refreshed