Share of employment outside the formal sector (current ILO definition) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Share of employment outside the formal sector (current ILO definition) was 20.49 in 2018. ▲ Rising

Latest (2018)
20.49
Change on year
down 11.7%
World rank
17th
of 46 countries
All-time high
23.2
in 2017
All-time low
15.87
in 2014
Years of data
5
2014–2018

Share of employment outside the formal sector (current ILO definition) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 2014–2018

05101520252014201620182014: 15.92015: 16.32016: 16.92017: 23.22018: 20.5

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

The most recent figure for share of employment outside the formal sector (current ilo definition) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is 20.49, measured in 2018.

That represents a change of down 11.7% on the previous year and up 29.1% over five years.

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 17th of 46 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

Share of employment outside the formal sector (current ILO definition) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year

Annual values for Share of employment outside the formal sector (current ILO definition - ICLS19) (15+) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 2014 to 2018.
Year Value Change
2014 15.87
2015 16.28 +2.6%
2016 16.91 +3.9%
2017 23.2 +37.2%
2018 20.49 -11.7%

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland compared with similar countries

  • United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's 20.49 is above the median for high income countries, which is 4.95, 4.1× the median. (32 countries reporting)
  • United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's 20.49 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 4.55, 4.5× the median. (31 countries reporting)

Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

  1. 14 Mongolia 31.17
  2. 15 Armenia 28.47
  3. 16 Georgia 25.66
  4. 18 Russian Federation 19.23 compare
  5. 19 Chile 16.64 compare
  6. 20 Croatia 14.83 compare

See the full ranking of 46 places →

More work & labour data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

All data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of employment outside the formal sector (current ilo definition) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
Share of employment outside the formal sector (current ilo definition) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 20.49 in 2018, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest share of employment outside the formal sector (current ilo definition) recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
The highest recorded value was 23.2 in 2017.
What is the lowest share of employment outside the formal sector (current ilo definition) recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
The lowest recorded value was 15.87 in 2014.
How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for share of employment outside the formal sector (current ilo definition)?
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 17th out of 46 countries with data for 2018.
Where does this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 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 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. 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/united-kingdom/

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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.