SDG indicator 8.3.1: Proportion of informal employment in total in Africa

Africa: SDG indicator 8.3.1: Proportion of informal employment in total was 84.08 in 2027. ▬ Flat

Latest (2027)
84.08
Change on year
down 0.2%
Rank
14th
of 87 groups
All-time high
85.97
in 2004
All-time low
83.66
in 2016
Years of data
24
2004–2027

SDG indicator 8.3.1: Proportion of informal employment in total in Africa, 2004–2027

0204060802004201520272004: 862005: 85.82006: 85.42007: 85.22008: 852009: 84.92010: 84.72011: 84.62012: 83.92013: 83.92014: 83.72015: 83.82016: 83.72017: 83.82018: 83.82019: 83.92020: 84.32021: 85.22022: 852023: 852024: 84.62025: 84.42026: 84.32027: 84.1

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

The most recent figure for sdg indicator 8.3.1: proportion of informal employment in total in Africa is 84.08, measured in 2027.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.2% on the previous year and up 0.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, sdg indicator 8.3.1: proportion of informal employment in total in Africa peaked at 85.97 in 2004 and was at its lowest, 83.66, in 2016.

That places Africa 14th out of 87 groups with data for 2027, putting it in the top quarter.

SDG indicator 8.3.1: Proportion of informal employment in total in Africa, year by year

Annual values for SDG indicator 8.3.1: Proportion of informal employment in total employment (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) in Africa, 2004 to 2027.
Year Value Change
2004 85.97
2005 85.76 -0.2%
2006 85.45 -0.4%
2007 85.23 -0.3%
2008 85 -0.3%
2009 84.94 -0.1%
2010 84.68 -0.3%
2011 84.57 -0.1%
2012 83.91 -0.8%
2013 83.93 +0.0%
2014 83.72 -0.2%
2015 83.77 +0.1%
2016 83.66 -0.1%
2017 83.81 +0.2%
2018 83.8 -0.0%
2019 83.86 +0.1%
2020 84.31 +0.5%
2021 85.19 +1.0%
2022 84.95 -0.3%
2023 84.97 +0.0%
2024 84.65 -0.4%
2025 84.41 -0.3%
2026 84.25 -0.2%
2027 84.08 -0.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 85.39 84.94 85.97 6
2010s 83.97 83.66 84.68 10
2020s 84.6 84.08 85.19 8

Countries ranked near Africa

  1. 11 Bangladesh 84.04 compare
  2. 12 Zambia 82.73 compare
  3. 13 Honduras 82.61 compare
  4. 14 Indonesia 80.97 compare
  5. 15 Myanmar 80.71 compare
  6. 16 Armenia 76.14 compare
  7. 17 Botswana 75.58 compare

See the full ranking of 170 places →

More work & labour data for Africa

All data for Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is sdg indicator 8.3.1: proportion of informal employment in total in Africa?
Sdg indicator 8.3.1: proportion of informal employment in total in Africa was 84.08 in 2027, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest sdg indicator 8.3.1: proportion of informal employment in total recorded in Africa?
The highest recorded value was 85.97 in 2004.
What is the lowest sdg indicator 8.3.1: proportion of informal employment in total recorded in Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 83.66 in 2016.
How does Africa rank for sdg indicator 8.3.1: proportion of informal employment in total?
Africa ranks 14th out of 87 groups with data for 2027.
Is sdg indicator 8.3.1: proportion of informal employment in total rising or falling in Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 0.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Africa data come from?
The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of SDG indicator 8.3.1: Proportion of informal employment in total employment (previous ILO definition - ICLS13). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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SDG indicator 8.3.1: Proportion of informal employment in total in Africa. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 17 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/sdg-indicator-8-3-1-proportion-of-informal-employment-in-total-employment-previous-ilo/africa/

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About this data

Indicator
SDG indicator 8.3.1: Proportion of informal employment in total employment (previous ILO definition - ICLS13)
Source
International Labour Organization
Licence
ILO Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
170 places, 3,309 data points, 2000–2027
Last refreshed

Data may differ from nationally reported figures and the Global SDG Indicators Database due to differences in sources and/or reference years. This indicator conveys the share of informal employment in total employment. Employment comprises all persons of working age who, during a specified brief period, were either in paid employment (whether at work or with a job but not at work) or in self-employment (whether at work or with an enterprise but not at work). Informal employment comprises persons who in their main or secondary jobs were (a) own-account workers, employers and members of producers' cooperatives employed in their own informal sector enterprises; (b) own-account workers engaged in the production of goods exclusively for own final use by their household (e.g. subsistence farming); (c) contributing family workers, regardless of whether they work in formal or informal sector enterprises; or (d) employees holding informal jobs, whether employed by formal sector enterprises, informal sector enterprises, or as paid domestic workers by households. 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 Market-related SDG Indicators (ILOSDG) database description.