Share of employment outside the formal sector in Mexico
Mexico: Share of employment outside the formal sector was 47.78 in 2026. ▼ Falling
Share of employment outside the formal sector in Mexico, 2002–2026
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
In 2026, share of employment outside the formal sector in Mexico stood at 47.78.
The figure is down 0.7% on the previous year and up 6.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of employment outside the formal sector in Mexico peaked at 56.64 in 2003 and was at its lowest, 44.94, in 2017.
That places Mexico 27th out of 81 countries with data for 2026, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 22 years of available data.
Share of employment outside the formal sector in Mexico, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 56.59 | — |
| 2003 | 56.64 | +0.1% |
| 2004 | 55.73 | -1.6% |
| 2008 | 45.55 | -18.3% |
| 2009 | 46.84 | +2.8% |
| 2010 | 47.04 | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 47.26 | +0.5% |
| 2012 | 47.5 | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 47.13 | -0.8% |
| 2014 | 46.21 | -2.0% |
| 2015 | 46 | -0.5% |
| 2016 | 45.06 | -2.0% |
| 2017 | 44.94 | -0.3% |
| 2018 | 45.09 | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 45.18 | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 45.56 | +0.8% |
| 2021 | 48.57 | +6.6% |
| 2022 | 47.93 | -1.3% |
| 2023 | 47.47 | -1.0% |
| 2024 | 47.08 | -0.8% |
| 2025 | 48.12 | +2.2% |
| 2026 | 47.78 | -0.7% |
Mexico compared with similar countries
- Mexico's 47.78 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 46.77, 1.0× the median. (28 countries reporting)
- Mexico's 47.78 is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 46.78, 1.0× the median. (19 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 52.27 | 45.55 | 56.64 | 5 |
| 2010s | 46.14 | 44.94 | 47.5 | 10 |
| 2020s | 47.5 | 45.56 | 48.57 | 7 |
Countries ranked near Mexico
More work & labour data for Mexico
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.5786 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.5539 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.6038 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.41 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.5363 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 144,910 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 19,369 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 65,616 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 64,633 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 130,249 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of employment outside the formal sector in Mexico?
- Share of employment outside the formal sector in Mexico was 47.78 in 2026, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest share of employment outside the formal sector recorded in Mexico?
- The highest recorded value was 56.64 in 2003.
- What is the lowest share of employment outside the formal sector recorded in Mexico?
- The lowest recorded value was 44.94 in 2017.
- How does Mexico rank for share of employment outside the formal sector?
- Mexico ranks 27th out of 81 countries with data for 2026.
- Is share of employment outside the formal sector rising or falling in Mexico?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Mexico data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Share of employment outside the formal sector (previous ILO definition - ICLS13). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
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 is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. For time series comparability, it includes countries that have implemented the 19th ICLS standards, for which data are also available in the Work Statistics -- 19th ICLS (WORK) database. 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. 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 Force Statistics (LFS and STLFS) database description.