Share of employment outside the formal sector (current ILO definition) in Botswana

Botswana: Share of employment outside the formal sector (current ILO definition) was 40.42 in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
40.42
Change on year
down 2.8%
World rank
8th
of 46 countries
All-time high
41.56
in 2023
All-time low
34.43
in 2021
Years of data
6
2019–2024

Share of employment outside the formal sector (current ILO definition) in Botswana, 2019–2024

0102030402019202120242019: 38.82020: 39.42021: 34.42022: 39.82023: 41.62024: 40.4

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

The most recent figure for share of employment outside the formal sector (current ilo definition) in Botswana is 40.42, measured in 2024.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.8% on the previous year and up 4.1% over ten years.

Botswana ranks 8th of 46 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

Share of employment outside the formal sector (current ILO definition) in Botswana, year by year

Annual values for Share of employment outside the formal sector (current ILO definition - ICLS19) (15+) in Botswana, 2019 to 2024.
Year Value Change
2019 38.81
2020 39.44 +1.6%
2021 34.43 -12.7%
2022 39.83 +15.7%
2023 41.56 +4.4%
2024 40.42 -2.8%

Botswana compared with similar countries

  • Botswana's 40.42 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 32.87, 1.2× the median. (10 countries reporting)
  • Botswana's 40.42 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 60.75, 67% of the median. (5 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 38.81 38.81 38.81 1
2020s 39.13 34.43 41.56 5

Countries ranked near Botswana

  1. 5 Zimbabwe 58.48 compare
  2. 6 El Salvador 52.05 compare
  3. 7 Panama 45.01 compare
  4. 9 Jordan 39.02 compare
  5. 10 Guyana 37.69 compare
  6. 11 Costa Rica 36.07 compare

See the full ranking of 46 places →

More work & labour data for Botswana

All data for Botswana →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of employment outside the formal sector (current ilo definition) in Botswana?
Share of employment outside the formal sector (current ilo definition) in Botswana was 40.42 in 2024, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest share of employment outside the formal sector (current ilo definition) recorded in Botswana?
The highest recorded value was 41.56 in 2023.
What is the lowest share of employment outside the formal sector (current ilo definition) recorded in Botswana?
The lowest recorded value was 34.43 in 2021.
How does Botswana rank for share of employment outside the formal sector (current ilo definition)?
Botswana ranks 8th out of 46 countries with data for 2024.
Is share of employment outside the formal sector (current ilo definition) rising or falling in Botswana?
Over the last ten years it is up 4.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Botswana data come from?
The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Share of employment outside the formal sector (current ILO definition - ICLS19) (15+). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of employment outside the formal sector (current ILO definition) in Botswana. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 15 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-employment-outside-the-formal-sector-current-ilo-definition-icls19-15/botswana/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of employment outside the formal sector (current ILO definition - ICLS19) (15+)
Source
International Labour Organization
Licence
ILO Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
46 places, 456 data points, 2014–2025
Last refreshed

With the aim of promoting international comparability, statistics presented on ILOSTAT are based on standard international definitions wherever feasible and may differ from official national figures. This series includes only countries for which the 19th ICLS definitions are applied. This harmonized series for employment outside the formal sector is derived using the same set of criteria across countries to improve comparability. The criteria used are based on employment status, institutional sector, destination of production, bookkeeping, registration, social security contribution, places of work and size. For more information, refer to the Work Statistics -- 19th ICLS (WORK) database description.