Proportion of informal employment, by sector and sex - 13th ICLS in Northern Europe

Northern Europe: Proportion of informal employment, by sector and sex - 13th ICLS was 5.2% in 2025. ▲ Rising

Latest (2025)
5.2%
Change on year
up 0.2%
Rank
34th
of 36 groups
All-time high
6.7%
in 2017
All-time low
3.6%
in 2016
Years of data
22
2004–2025

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

02462004201420252004: 3.82005: 3.82006: 3.82007: 3.82008: 3.82009: 3.92010: 4.12011: 3.72012: 4.82013: 4.22014: 4.12015: 4.12016: 3.62017: 6.72018: 52019: 52020: 4.82021: 4.72022: 5.22023: 5.12024: 5.12025: 5.2

Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.

Analysis

Northern Europe recorded 5.2% for proportion of informal employment, by sector and sex - 13th icls in 2025.

The figure is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 24.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, proportion of informal employment, by sector and sex - 13th icls in Northern Europe peaked at 6.7% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 3.6%, in 2016.

That places Northern Europe 34th out of 36 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.

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

Proportion of informal employment, by sector and sex - 13th ICLS in Northern Europe, year by year

Annual values for Proportion of informal employment, by sector and sex - 13th ICLS (%) in Northern Europe, 2004 to 2025.
Year Value Change
2004 3.8%
2005 3.8% +0.3%
2006 3.8% -0.5%
2007 3.8% -0.3%
2008 3.8% -0.5%
2009 3.9% +2.9%
2010 4.1% +4.6%
2011 3.7% -8.8%
2012 4.8% +29.1%
2013 4.2% -12.3%
2014 4.1% -2.1%
2015 4.1% +0.5%
2016 3.6% -13.3%
2017 6.7% +86.3%
2018 5.0% -24.9%
2019 5.0% +0.8%
2020 4.8% -5.3%
2021 4.7% -0.8%
2022 5.2% +9.3%
2023 5.1% -1.2%
2024 5.1% +0.4%
2025 5.2% +0.2%

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Proportion of informal employment, by sector and sex - 13th ICLS in Northern Europe changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
2017 +86.3% 3.6% 6.7%
2012 +29.1% 3.7% 4.8%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 3.8% 3.8% 3.9% 6
2010s 4.5% 3.6% 6.7% 10
2020s 5.0% 4.7% 5.2% 6

Countries ranked near Northern Europe

  1. 31 Kyrgyzstan 57.5% compare
  2. 32 Mexico 56.4% compare
  3. 33 Colombia 56.0% compare
  4. 34 Namibia 55.6% compare
  5. 35 Jordan 55.1% compare
  6. 36 Dominican Republic 54.7% compare
  7. 37 Jamaica 54.6% compare

See the full ranking of 128 places →

More work & labour data for Northern Europe

All data for Northern Europe →

Frequently asked questions

What is proportion of informal employment, by sector and sex - 13th icls in Northern Europe?
Proportion of informal employment, by sector and sex - 13th icls in Northern Europe was 5.2% 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 Northern Europe?
The highest recorded value was 6.7% in 2017.
What is the lowest proportion of informal employment, by sector and sex - 13th icls recorded in Northern Europe?
The lowest recorded value was 3.6% in 2016.
How does Northern Europe rank for proportion of informal employment, by sector and sex - 13th icls?
Northern Europe ranks 34th out of 36 groups with data for 2025.
Is proportion of informal employment, by sector and sex - 13th icls rising or falling in Northern Europe?
Over the last ten years it is up 24.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Northern Europe 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 Northern Europe. Statizoid, drawing on United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Retrieved 17 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/proportion-of-informal-employment-by-sector-and-sex-13th-icls-percent/northern-europe/

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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