Informal economy statistics - countries compared

Rank	Countries	Amount
# 1	Georgia:	67.3%
# 2	Bolivia:	67.1%
# 3	Panama:	64.1%
# 4	Azerbaijan:	60.6%
# 5	Peru:	59.9%
# 6	Zimbabwe:	59.4%
# 7	Tanzania:	58.3%
# 8	Nigeria:	57.9%
# 9	Thailand:	52.6%
# 10	Ukraine:	52.2%
# 11	Guatemala:	51.5%
# 12	Uruguay:	51.1%
# 13	Honduras:	49.6%
# 14	Zambia:	48.9%
# 15	Belarus:	48.1%
# 16	Armenia:	46.3%
# 17	Russia:	46.1%
= 18	Benin:	45.2%
= 18	Nicaragua:	45.2%
# 20	Moldova:	45.1%
# 21	Sri Lanka:	44.6%
# 22	Philippines:	43.4%
= 23	Kazakhstan:	43.2%
= 23	Senegal:	43.2%
# 25	Uganda:	43.1%
# 26	Niger:	41.9%
# 27	Mali:	41%
= 28	Ethiopia:	40.3%
= 28	Malawi:	40.3%
= 28	Mozambique:	40.3%
= 31	Cote d'Ivoire:	39.9%
= 31	Latvia:	39.9%
= 33	Kyrgyzstan:	39.8%
= 33	Brazil:	39.8%
# 35	Madagascar:	39.6%
# 36	Colombia:	39.1%
= 37	Nepal:	38.4%
= 37	Ghana:	38.4%
= 37	Burkina Faso:	38.4%
= 37	Tunisia:	38.4%
# 41	Bulgaria:	36.9%
# 42	Pakistan:	36.8%
= 43	Morocco:	36.4%
= 43	Jamaica:	36.4%
# 45	Bangladesh:	35.6%
= 46	Romania:	34.4%
= 46	Ecuador:	34.4%
# 48	Kenya:	34.3%
= 49	Bosnia and Herzegovina:	34.1%
= 49	Algeria:	34.1%
= 49	Lebanon:	34.1%
= 49	Uzbekistan:	34.1%
# 53	Venezuela:	33.6%
= 54	Croatia:	33.4%
= 54	Albania:	33.4%
= 54	Botswana:	33.4%
# 57	Cameroon:	32.8%
= 58	Turkey:	32.1%
= 58	Dominican Republic:	32.1%
# 60	Malaysia:	31.1%
# 61	Lithuania:	30.3%
# 62	Mexico:	30.1%
# 63	Serbia and Montenegro:	29.1%
# 64	Greece:	28.6%
# 65	South Africa:	28.4%
# 66	Poland:	27.6%
# 67	Slovenia:	27.1%
# 68	Italy:	27%
# 69	United Arab Emirates:	26.4%
# 70	Costa Rica:	26.2%
# 71	Argentina:	25.4%
# 72	Hungary:	25.1%
# 73	Belgium:	23.2%
# 74	India:	23.1%
= 75	Portugal:	22.6%
= 75	Spain:	22.6%
# 77	Israel:	21.9%
# 78	Chile:	19.8%
= 79	Indonesia:	19.4%
= 79	Jordan:	19.4%
# 81	Syria:	19.3%
= 82	Czech Republic:	19.1%
= 82	Norway:	19.1%
= 82	Sweden:	19.1%
# 85	Slovakia:	18.9%
= 86	Mongolia:	18.4%
= 86	Saudi Arabia:	18.4%
# 88	Finland:	18.3%
# 89	Denmark:	18.2%
# 90	Germany:	16.3%
# 91	Ireland:	15.8%
# 92	Vietnam:	15.6%
= 93	Australia:	15.3%
= 93	France:	15.3%
= 95	China:	13.1%
= 95	Singapore:	13.1%
# 97	Netherlands:	13%
# 98	New Zealand:	12.7%
# 99	United Kingdom:	12.6%
# 100	Japan:	11.3%
# 101	Austria:	10.2%
= 102	Switzerland:	8.8%
= 102	United States:	8.8%
# 104	Canada:	3%
	Weighted average:	33.0%

DEFINITION: The easiest definition of the informal economy is: Street traders and street vendors; Itinerant or seasonal or temporary job workers on building sites or road work; and those in between the streets and home,(e.g. waste collectors)

SOURCE: World Bank

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COMMENTARY

Ian Graham
Staff Editor
18th March 2005

People working in the informal economy are not registered as businesses or employees and they do not pay taxes. This can be beneficial for them because it increases their profit margin or take-home pay. However, they usually earn much less than their formal, registered counterparts.

They are also vulnerable to exploitation by corrupt officials, who can demand bribes or protection payments in exchange for not reporting an unregistered business or employee to the authorities.

Another disadvantage for people running businesses in the informal economy is that their equity in their business is unrecognized and cannot be used to apply for credit or loans that could help them expand.

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