Proportion of informal employment, by sector and sex - 19th ICLS in Ireland

Ireland: Proportion of informal employment, by sector and sex - 19th ICLS was 1.9% in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
1.9%
Change on year
down 5.0%
World rank
40th
of 50 countries
All-time high
3.7%
in 2014
All-time low
1.4%
in 2021
Years of data
11
2014–2024

Proportion of informal employment, by sector and sex - 19th ICLS in Ireland, 2014–2024

012342014201920242014: 3.72015: 2.12016: 2.22017: 1.92018: 1.92019: 1.52020: 1.62021: 1.42022: 22023: 22024: 1.9

Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.

Analysis

The most recent figure for proportion of informal employment, by sector and sex - 19th icls in Ireland is 1.9%, measured in 2024.

The figure is down 5.0% on the previous year and down 48.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, proportion of informal employment, by sector and sex - 19th icls in Ireland peaked at 3.7% in 2014 and was at its lowest, 1.4%, in 2021.

That places Ireland 40th out of 50 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 11 years of available data.

Proportion of informal employment, by sector and sex - 19th ICLS in Ireland, year by year

Annual values for Proportion of informal employment, by sector and sex - 19th ICLS (%) in Ireland, 2014 to 2024.
Year Value Change
2014 3.7%
2015 2.1% -43.5%
2016 2.2% +7.7%
2017 1.9% -12.9%
2018 1.9% -3.1%
2019 1.5% -19.6%
2020 1.6% +6.6%
2021 1.4% -13.0%
2022 2.0% +45.4%
2023 2.0% -2.4%
2024 1.9% -5.0%

Ireland compared with similar countries

  • Ireland's 1.9% is below the median for high income countries, which is 2.2%, 85% of the median. (32 countries reporting)
  • Ireland's 1.9% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 2.2%, 85% of the median. (30 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 2.2% 1.5% 3.7% 6
2020s 1.8% 1.4% 2.0% 5

Countries ranked near Ireland

  1. 37 Latvia 2.2% compare
  2. 38 Iceland 2.0% compare
  3. 39 Luxembourg 1.9% compare
  4. 41 Cyprus 1.7% compare
  5. 42 Switzerland 1.5% compare
  6. 43 Norway 1.4% compare

See the full ranking of 50 places →

More work & labour data for Ireland

All data for Ireland →

Frequently asked questions

What is proportion of informal employment, by sector and sex - 19th icls in Ireland?
Proportion of informal employment, by sector and sex - 19th icls in Ireland was 1.9% in 2024, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
What is the highest proportion of informal employment, by sector and sex - 19th icls recorded in Ireland?
The highest recorded value was 3.7% in 2014.
What is the lowest proportion of informal employment, by sector and sex - 19th icls recorded in Ireland?
The lowest recorded value was 1.4% in 2021.
How does Ireland rank for proportion of informal employment, by sector and sex - 19th icls?
Ireland ranks 40th out of 50 countries with data for 2024.
Is proportion of informal employment, by sector and sex - 19th icls rising or falling in Ireland?
Over the last ten years it is down 48.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Ireland 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 - 19th ICLS (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Proportion of informal employment, by sector and sex - 19th ICLS in Ireland. 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-19th-icls-percent/ireland/

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About this data

Indicator
Proportion of informal employment, by sector and sex - 19th ICLS (%)
Source
United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database
Licence
UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested)
Coverage
50 places, 457 data points, 2014–2025
Last refreshed