Share of workers in informal employment in Malta

Malta: Share of workers in informal employment was 0.7% in 2021. ▼ Falling

Latest (2021)
0.7%
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
82nd
of 82 countries
All-time high
2.2%
in 2011
All-time low
0.6%
in 2013
Years of data
15
2007–2021

Share of workers in informal employment in Malta, 2007–2021

0.511.522007201420212007: 1.2 %2008: 1.6 %2009: 0.68 %2010: 2 %2011: 2.2 %2012: 1.6 %2013: 0.59 %2014: 0.63 %2015: 0.85 %2016: 0.85 %2017: 0.99 %2018: 0.68 %2019: 0.63 %2020: 0.63 %2021: 0.74 %

Source: International Labour Organization – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2021, share of workers in informal employment in Malta stood at 0.7%.

That represents a change of down 68.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of workers in informal employment in Malta peaked at 2.2% in 2011 and was at its lowest, 0.6%, in 2013.

Malta ranks 82nd of 82 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 15 years of available data.

Share of workers in informal employment in Malta, year by year

Annual values for Share of workers in informal employment in Malta, 2007 to 2021.
Year % Change
2007 1.2% —
2008 1.6% +40.2%
2009 0.7% -58.5%
2010 2.0% +192.6%
2011 2.2% +10.6%
2012 1.6% -25.9%
2013 0.6% -63.8%
2014 0.6% +6.8%
2015 0.8% +34.9%
2016 0.8% +0.0%
2017 1.0% +16.5%
2018 0.7% -31.3%
2019 0.6% -7.4%
2020 0.6% +0.0%
2021 0.7% +17.5%

Malta compared with similar countries

  • Malta's 0.7% is below the median for high income countries, which is 2.4%, 26% of the median. (35 countries reporting)
  • Malta's 0.7% is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 55.1%, 1% of the median. (5 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 1.2% 0.7% 1.6% 3
2010s 1.1% 0.6% 2.2% 10
2020s 0.7% 0.6% 0.7% 2

Countries ranked near Malta

  1. 79 Bulgaria 1.2% compare
  2. 80 Croatia 1.2% compare
  3. 81 Slovenia 0.7% compare

See the full ranking of 82 places →

More work & labour data for Malta

All data for Malta →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of workers in informal employment in Malta?
Share of workers in informal employment in Malta was 0.7% in 2021, according to International Labour Organization – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of workers in informal employment recorded in Malta?
The highest recorded value was 2.2% in 2011.
What is the lowest share of workers in informal employment recorded in Malta?
The lowest recorded value was 0.6% in 2013.
How does Malta rank for share of workers in informal employment?
Malta ranks 82nd out of 82 countries with data for 2021.
Is share of workers in informal employment rising or falling in Malta?
Over the last ten years it is down 68.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Malta data come from?
The figures come from International Labour Organization – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of workers in informal employment. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of workers in informal employment in Malta. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 25 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/share-in-informal-employment/malta/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of workers in informal employment
Unit
%
Source
International Labour Organization – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
82 places, 1,190 data points, 2000–2025
Last refreshed

Share of employed people working in jobs that lack basic social or legal protection and employment benefits. Does not include illegal and illicit activities. Figures refer to national estimates and may not be fully comparable across countries.