SDG indicator 8.3.1: Proportion of informal employment in total in Western Europe

Western Europe: SDG indicator 8.3.1: Proportion of informal employment in total was 2.4 in 2027. ▼ Falling

Latest (2027)
2.4
Change on year
down 2.7%
Rank
85th
of 87 groups
All-time high
5.2
in 2010
All-time low
2.39
in 2021
Years of data
24
2004–2027

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

02462004201520272004: 4.62005: 4.52006: 4.62007: 4.52008: 4.52009: 4.72010: 5.22011: 4.72012: 4.82013: 4.42014: 4.22015: 4.12016: 3.72017: 3.92018: 3.92019: 3.72020: 3.52021: 2.42022: 2.62023: 2.52024: 2.52025: 2.52026: 2.52027: 2.4

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

In 2027, sdg indicator 8.3.1: proportion of informal employment in total in Western Europe stood at 2.4.

The figure is down 2.7% on the previous year and down 39.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, sdg indicator 8.3.1: proportion of informal employment in total in Western Europe peaked at 5.2 in 2010 and was at its lowest, 2.39, in 2021.

That places Western Europe 85th out of 87 groups with data for 2027, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.

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

Annual values for SDG indicator 8.3.1: Proportion of informal employment in total employment (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) in Western Europe, 2004 to 2027.
Year Value Change
2004 4.57 —
2005 4.54 -0.8%
2006 4.56 +0.5%
2007 4.53 -0.5%
2008 4.5 -0.8%
2009 4.68 +4.1%
2010 5.2 +11.0%
2011 4.66 -10.4%
2012 4.85 +4.0%
2013 4.42 -8.8%
2014 4.18 -5.3%
2015 4.1 -2.1%
2016 3.71 -9.3%
2017 3.95 +6.2%
2018 3.86 -2.3%
2019 3.74 -3.1%
2020 3.5 -6.2%
2021 2.39 -31.7%
2022 2.61 +9.1%
2023 2.51 -3.9%
2024 2.51 -0.2%
2025 2.52 +0.3%
2026 2.46 -2.1%
2027 2.4 -2.7%

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where SDG indicator 8.3.1: Proportion of informal employment in total in Western 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
2021 -31.7% 3.5 2.39

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 4.56 4.5 4.68 6
2010s 4.27 3.71 5.2 10
2020s 2.61 2.39 3.5 8

Countries ranked near Western Europe

  1. 82 Switzerland 1.09 compare
  2. 83 Hungary 0.857 compare

See the full ranking of 170 places →

More work & labour data for Western Europe

All data for Western Europe →

Frequently asked questions

What is sdg indicator 8.3.1: proportion of informal employment in total in Western Europe?
Sdg indicator 8.3.1: proportion of informal employment in total in Western Europe was 2.4 in 2027, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest sdg indicator 8.3.1: proportion of informal employment in total recorded in Western Europe?
The highest recorded value was 5.2 in 2010.
What is the lowest sdg indicator 8.3.1: proportion of informal employment in total recorded in Western Europe?
The lowest recorded value was 2.39 in 2021.
How does Western Europe rank for sdg indicator 8.3.1: proportion of informal employment in total?
Western Europe ranks 85th out of 87 groups with data for 2027.
Is sdg indicator 8.3.1: proportion of informal employment in total rising or falling in Western Europe?
Over the last ten years it is down 39.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Western Europe 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 Western Europe. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 26 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/sdg-indicator-8-3-1-proportion-of-informal-employment-in-total-employment-previous-ilo/western-europe/

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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.