Share of employment outside the formal sector in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Share of employment outside the formal sector was 20.49 in 2018. ▬ Flat

Latest (2018)
20.49
Change on year
down 11.7%
World rank
47th
of 81 countries
All-time high
23.2
in 2017
All-time low
13.8
in 2010
Years of data
12
2007–2018

Share of employment outside the formal sector in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 2007–2018

05101520252007201220182007: 19.62008: 20.42009: 20.32010: 13.82011: 16.22012: 16.52013: 16.12014: 15.92015: 16.32016: 16.92017: 23.22018: 20.5

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland recorded 20.49 for share of employment outside the formal sector in 2018.

The figure is down 11.7% on the previous year and up 0.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of employment outside the formal sector in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 23.2 in 2017 and was at its lowest, 13.8, in 2010.

That places United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 47th out of 81 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the middle of the range.

Share of employment outside the formal sector in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year

Annual values for Share of employment outside the formal sector (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 2007 to 2018.
Year Value Change
2007 19.64
2008 20.38 +3.7%
2009 20.34 -0.2%
2010 13.8 -32.2%
2011 16.23 +17.6%
2012 16.51 +1.7%
2013 16.07 -2.6%
2014 15.87 -1.3%
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 5.33, 3.8× the median. (36 countries reporting)
  • United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's 20.49 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 5.51, 3.7× the median. (37 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 20.12 19.64 20.38 3
2010s 17.26 13.8 23.2 9

Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

  1. 44 Saint Lucia 28.2
  2. 45 Türkiye 25.62 compare
  3. 46 Mauritius 22.68 compare
  4. 48 Russian Federation 19.23 compare
  5. 49 Chile 16.86 compare
  6. 50 Croatia 14.83 compare

See the full ranking of 81 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 in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
Share of employment outside the formal sector 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 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 recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
The lowest recorded value was 13.8 in 2010.
How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for share of employment outside the formal sector?
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 47th out of 81 countries with data for 2018.
Is share of employment outside the formal sector rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
Over the last ten years it is up 0.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
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 (previous ILO definition - ICLS13). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of employment outside the formal sector in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 14 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-employment-outside-the-formal-sector-previous-ilo-definition-icls13/united-kingdom/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of employment outside the formal sector (previous ILO definition - ICLS13)
Source
International Labour Organization
Licence
ILO Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
81 places, 1,202 data points, 1999–2026
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 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.