SDG indicator 8.3.1: Proportion of informal employment in total in Southern Asia

Southern Asia: SDG indicator 8.3.1: Proportion of informal employment in total was 84.72 in 2027. ▬ Flat

Latest (2027)
84.72
Change on year
down 0.5%
Rank
13th
of 87 groups
All-time high
89.33
in 2004
All-time low
84.72
in 2027
Years of data
24
2004–2027

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

0204060802004201520272004: 89.32005: 88.62006: 88.22007: 87.92008: 882009: 87.82010: 872011: 872012: 86.92013: 86.72014: 86.82015: 86.52016: 86.32017: 86.12018: 85.92019: 862020: 86.32021: 86.12022: 862023: 85.92024: 85.72025: 85.62026: 85.22027: 84.7

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

In 2027, sdg indicator 8.3.1: proportion of informal employment in total in Southern Asia stood at 84.72. That is the lowest value across all 24 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.5% on the previous year and down 1.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, sdg indicator 8.3.1: proportion of informal employment in total in Southern Asia peaked at 89.33 in 2004 and was at its lowest, 84.72, in 2027.

That places Southern Asia 13th 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 Southern Asia, year by year

Annual values for SDG indicator 8.3.1: Proportion of informal employment in total employment (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) in Southern Asia, 2004 to 2027.
Year Value Change
2004 89.33
2005 88.64 -0.8%
2006 88.21 -0.5%
2007 87.92 -0.3%
2008 88 +0.1%
2009 87.79 -0.2%
2010 87.03 -0.9%
2011 86.99 -0.0%
2012 86.86 -0.1%
2013 86.73 -0.2%
2014 86.78 +0.1%
2015 86.47 -0.3%
2016 86.28 -0.2%
2017 86.15 -0.2%
2018 85.92 -0.3%
2019 85.99 +0.1%
2020 86.3 +0.4%
2021 86.06 -0.3%
2022 85.95 -0.1%
2023 85.87 -0.1%
2024 85.7 -0.2%
2025 85.58 -0.1%
2026 85.17 -0.5%
2027 84.72 -0.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 88.31 87.79 89.33 6
2010s 86.52 85.92 87.03 10
2020s 85.67 84.72 86.3 8

Countries ranked near Southern Asia

  1. 10 Zimbabwe 85 compare
  2. 11 Bangladesh 84.04 compare
  3. 12 Zambia 82.73 compare
  4. 13 Honduras 82.61 compare
  5. 14 Indonesia 80.97 compare
  6. 15 Myanmar 80.71 compare
  7. 16 Armenia 76.14 compare

See the full ranking of 170 places →

More work & labour data for Southern Asia

All data for Southern Asia →

Frequently asked questions

What is sdg indicator 8.3.1: proportion of informal employment in total in Southern Asia?
Sdg indicator 8.3.1: proportion of informal employment in total in Southern Asia was 84.72 in 2027, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest sdg indicator 8.3.1: proportion of informal employment in total recorded in Southern Asia?
The highest recorded value was 89.33 in 2004.
What is the lowest sdg indicator 8.3.1: proportion of informal employment in total recorded in Southern Asia?
The lowest recorded value was 84.72 in 2027.
How does Southern Asia rank for sdg indicator 8.3.1: proportion of informal employment in total?
Southern Asia ranks 13th out of 87 groups with data for 2027.
Is sdg indicator 8.3.1: proportion of informal employment in total rising or falling in Southern Asia?
Over the last ten years it is down 1.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Southern Asia 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 Southern Asia. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 18 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/sdg-indicator-8-3-1-proportion-of-informal-employment-in-total-employment-previous-ilo/southern-asia/

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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.