What is share of workers in informal employment in Namibia?

Share of workers in informal employment in Namibia was 55.8% in 2018, according to International Labour Organization – with major processing by Our World in Data.

What is the highest share of workers in informal employment recorded in Namibia?

The highest recorded value was 67.0% in 2016.

What is the lowest share of workers in informal employment recorded in Namibia?

The lowest recorded value was 54.2% in 2012.

How does Namibia rank for share of workers in informal employment?

Namibia ranks 29th out of 80 countries with data for 2018.

Is share of workers in informal employment rising or falling in Namibia?

Over the last ten years it is up 2.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.

Where does this Namibia data come from?

The figures come from International Labour Organization – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of workers in informal employment. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Share of workers in informal employment in Namibia

Name: Share of workers in informal employment in Namibia
Creator: International Labour Organization – with major processing by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

Namibia: Share of workers in informal employment was 55.8% in 2018. ▲ Rising

Latest (2018)

55.8%

Change on year

down 16.7%

World rank

29th

of 80 countries

All-time high

67.0%

in 2016

All-time low

54.2%

in 2012

Years of data

2012–2018

Share of workers in informal employment in Namibia, 2012–2018

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

Analysis

In 2018, share of workers in informal employment in Namibia stood at 55.8%.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 16.7% on the previous year and up 2.9% over ten years.

That places Namibia 29th out of 80 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the middle of the range.

Countries ranked near Namibia

26 Mexico 56.3% compare
27 Colombia 56.1% compare
28 Panama 56.1% compare
30 Dominican Republic 55.7% compare
31 Jordan 55.1% compare
32 Jamaica 54.6% compare

See the full ranking of 80 places →

More work & labour data for Namibia

Legislation on sexual harassment in employment 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
Criminal sanctions or compensation for workplace sexual harassment 0 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
Women can take the same jobs as men 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 58.8% (2025)
Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 63.0% (2025)
Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 87.1% (2025)
Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15 54.9% (2025)
Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15-6 60.1% (2025)
Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 63.9% (2025)
Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15 56.4% (2025)

All data for Namibia →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of workers in informal employment in Namibia?: Share of workers in informal employment in Namibia was 55.8% in 2018, according to International Labour Organization – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of workers in informal employment recorded in Namibia?: The highest recorded value was 67.0% in 2016.
What is the lowest share of workers in informal employment recorded in Namibia?: The lowest recorded value was 54.2% in 2012.
How does Namibia rank for share of workers in informal employment?: Namibia ranks 29th out of 80 countries with data for 2018.
Is share of workers in informal employment rising or falling in Namibia?: Over the last ten years it is up 2.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Namibia data come from?: The figures come from International Labour Organization – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of workers in informal employment. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

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About this data

Indicator: Share of workers in informal employment
Unit: %
Source: International Labour Organization – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 80 places, 1,095 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed: 07 August 2026

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.