Informal economy, DGE method - Country rankings
* indicates monthly or quarterly data series
Informal economy, DGE method, 2020:
The average for 2020 based on 156 countries was 28.16 percent. The highest value was in Zimbabwe: 60.4 percent and the lowest value was in Switzerland: 7.9 percent. The indicator is available from 1990 to 2020. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.Measure: percent; Source: Informal economy database
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* indicates monthly or quarterly data series
Countries | Informal economy, DGE method, 2020 | Global rank | Available data |
---|---|---|---|
Zimbabwe | 60.4 | 1 | 1990 - 2020 |
Georgia | 58.2 | 2 | 1990 - 2020 |
Bolivia | 54.9 | 3 | 1990 - 2020 |
Nigeria | 54.9 | 4 | 1990 - 2020 |
Guatemala | 46.1 | 5 | 1990 - 2020 |
Gabon | 46 | 6 | 1990 - 2020 |
Ukraine | 46 | 7 | 1990 - 2020 |
Thailand | 45 | 8 | 1990 - 2020 |
C.A. Republic | 44.8 | 9 | 1990 - 2020 |
St. Vincent & ... | 44.2 | 10 | 1990 - 2020 |
Panama | 44 | 11 | 1990 - 2020 |
G.-Bissau | 43.5 | 12 | 1990 - 2020 |
Honduras | 43.3 | 13 | 1990 - 2020 |
Tajikistan | 43 | 14 | 1990 - 2020 |
Moldova | 42.8 | 15 | 1990 - 2020 |
Peru | 42.6 | 16 | 1990 - 2020 |
Benin | 42.4 | 17 | 1990 - 2020 |
DR Congo | 42.1 | 18 | 1990 - 2020 |
Comoros | 41.1 | 19 | 1990 - 2020 |
El Salvador | 40.7 | 20 | 1990 - 2020 |
Tanzania | 40.7 | 21 | 1990 - 2020 |
Uruguay | 40.6 | 22 | 1990 - 2020 |
Angola | 40.4 | 23 | 1990 - 2020 |
Belize | 40.4 | 24 | 1990 - 2020 |
Nicaragua | 40.3 | 25 | 1990 - 2020 |
Gambia | 40 | 26 | 1990 - 2020 |
Liberia | 39.9 | 27 | 1990 - 2020 |
Swaziland | 39.7 | 28 | 1990 - 2020 |
Zambia | 39.6 | 29 | 1990 - 2020 |
Malawi | 39.5 | 30 | 1990 - 2020 |
Azerbaijan | 39.1 | 31 | 1990 - 2020 |
Russia | 39.1 | 32 | 1990 - 2020 |
R. of Congo | 38.4 | 33 | 1990 - 2020 |
Ivory Coast | 37.7 | 34 | 1990 - 2020 |
Sierra Leone | 37.6 | 35 | 1990 - 2020 |
Belarus | 36.8 | 36 | 1990 - 2020 |
Burundi | 36.5 | 37 | 1990 - 2020 |
Senegal | 36.5 | 38 | 1990 - 2020 |
Chad | 36.4 | 39 | 1990 - 2020 |
Saint Lucia | 36 | 40 | 1990 - 2020 |
Madagascar | 35.7 | 41 | 1990 - 2020 |
Niger | 35.7 | 42 | 1990 - 2020 |
Ghana | 35.5 | 43 | 1990 - 2020 |
Kazakhstan | 35.5 | 44 | 1990 - 2020 |
Cambodia | 35 | 45 | 1990 - 2020 |
Armenia | 34 | 46 | 1990 - 2020 |
Paraguay | 33.7 | 47 | 1990 - 2020 |
Brazil | 33.4 | 48 | 1990 - 2020 |
Kyrgyzstan | 33.2 | 49 | 1990 - 2020 |
Suriname | 33 | 50 | 1990 - 2020 |
Sri Lanka | 32.9 | 51 | 1990 - 2020 |
North Macedonia | 32.7 | 52 | 1990 - 2020 |
Tunisia | 32.7 | 53 | 1990 - 2020 |
Jamaica | 32.4 | 54 | 1990 - 2020 |
Uganda | 32.4 | 55 | 1990 - 2020 |
Philippines | 32 | 56 | 1990 - 2020 |
Mali | 31.7 | 57 | 1990 - 2020 |
Pakistan | 31.6 | 58 | 1990 - 2020 |
Togo | 31.3 | 59 | 1990 - 2020 |
Nepal | 31.2 | 60 | 1990 - 2020 |
Burkina Faso | 30.9 | 61 | 1990 - 2020 |
Mauritania | 30.5 | 62 | 1990 - 2020 |
Guinea | 30.4 | 63 | 1990 - 2020 |
Venezuela | 30.4 | 64 | 1990 - 2020 |
Fiji | 29.8 | 65 | 1990 - 2020 |
Lebanon | 29.4 | 66 | 1990 - 2020 |
Albania | 29.3 | 67 | 1990 - 2020 |
Egypt | 29.3 | 68 | 1990 - 2020 |
Cape Verde | 29 | 69 | 1990 - 2020 |
Colombia | 28.7 | 70 | 1990 - 2020 |
Brunei | 28.5 | 71 | 1990 - 2020 |
Bosnia & Herz. | 28.4 | 72 | 1990 - 2020 |
Croatia | 28.4 | 73 | 1990 - 2020 |
Cameroon | 28.1 | 74 | 1990 - 2020 |
Sudan | 28 | 75 | 1990 - 2020 |
Bulgaria | 27.8 | 76 | 1990 - 2020 |
Morocco | 27.8 | 77 | 1990 - 2020 |
Algeria | 27.7 | 78 | 1990 - 2020 |
Ecuador | 27.3 | 79 | 1990 - 2020 |
Lithuania | 27.2 | 80 | 1990 - 2020 |
Mexico | 27.2 | 81 | 1990 - 2020 |
Malaysia | 26.8 | 82 | 1990 - 2020 |
Rwanda | 26.6 | 83 | 1990 - 2020 |
Estonia | 26.4 | 84 | 1990 - 2020 |
Italy | 26.1 | 85 | 1990 - 2020 |
Domin. Rep. | 26 | 86 | 1990 - 2020 |
Greece | 26 | 87 | 1990 - 2020 |
Kenya | 25.9 | 88 | 1990 - 2020 |
Mozambique | 25.9 | 89 | 1990 - 2020 |
Romania | 25.8 | 90 | 1990 - 2020 |
Bangladesh | 25.7 | 91 | 1990 - 2020 |
Botswana | 25.7 | 92 | 1990 - 2020 |
Latvia | 25.6 | 93 | 1990 - 2020 |
Cyprus | 25.2 | 94 | 1990 - 2020 |
Tr.&Tobago | 25.2 | 95 | 1990 - 2020 |
Lesotho | 25.1 | 96 | 1990 - 2020 |
Yemen | 24.9 | 97 | 1990 - 2020 |
Eq. Guinea | 24.8 | 98 | 1990 - 2020 |
Namibia | 24.7 | 99 | 1990 - 2020 |
Malta | 24.5 | 100 | 1990 - 2020 |
Turkey | 24.2 | 101 | 1990 - 2020 |
Slovenia | 24.1 | 102 | 1990 - 2020 |
Barbados | 23.9 | 103 | 1990 - 2020 |
Bahamas | 23.8 | 104 | 1990 - 2020 |
Poland | 22.9 | 105 | 1990 - 2020 |
Bhutan | 22.8 | 106 | 1990 - 2020 |
Ethiopia | 22.7 | 107 | 1990 - 2020 |
Maldives | 22.7 | 108 | 1990 - 2020 |
South Africa | 22.7 | 109 | 1990 - 2020 |
Hungary | 22.5 | 110 | 1990 - 2020 |
South Korea | 22.5 | 111 | 1990 - 2020 |
Portugal | 22.3 | 112 | 1990 - 2020 |
Burma | 22.1 | 113 | 1990 - 2020 |
UA Emirates | 22.1 | 114 | 1990 - 2020 |
Argentina | 21.2 | 115 | 1990 - 2020 |
Spain | 20.6 | 116 | 1990 - 2020 |
Costa Rica | 20.5 | 117 | 1990 - 2020 |
Belgium | 20.2 | 118 | 1990 - 2020 |
Laos | 20 | 119 | 1990 - 2020 |
Mauritius | 19.3 | 120 | 1990 - 2020 |
Israel | 19.2 | 121 | 1990 - 2020 |
Syria | 17.3 | 122 | 1990 - 2020 |
Sweden | 17.1 | 123 | 1990 - 2020 |
Czechia | 16.7 | 124 | 1990 - 2020 |
Norway | 16.5 | 125 | 1990 - 2020 |
Iran | 16.2 | 126 | 1990 - 2020 |
Denmark | 16.1 | 127 | 1990 - 2020 |
India | 15.9 | 128 | 1990 - 2020 |
Slovakia | 15.9 | 129 | 1990 - 2020 |
Finland | 15.8 | 130 | 1990 - 2020 |
Oman | 15.5 | 131 | 1990 - 2020 |
Chile | 15.4 | 132 | 1990 - 2020 |
Mongolia | 15.4 | 133 | 1990 - 2020 |
Jordan | 15 | 134 | 1990 - 2020 |
Indonesia | 14.9 | 135 | 1990 - 2020 |
Germany | 14.8 | 136 | 1990 - 2020 |
Iceland | 14.7 | 137 | 1990 - 2020 |
Saudi Arabia | 14.7 | 138 | 1990 - 2020 |
Bahrain | 14.5 | 139 | 1990 - 2020 |
Kuwait | 14.4 | 140 | 1992 - 2020 |
France | 14 | 141 | 1990 - 2020 |
Canada | 13.9 | 142 | 1990 - 2020 |
Qatar | 13.8 | 143 | 1990 - 2020 |
Ireland | 13.2 | 144 | 1990 - 2020 |
Australia | 12.6 | 145 | 1990 - 2020 |
Netherlands | 12.5 | 146 | 1990 - 2020 |
UK | 11.7 | 147 | 1990 - 2020 |
New Zealand | 11.2 | 148 | 1990 - 2020 |
Singapore | 10.8 | 149 | 1990 - 2020 |
Vietnam | 10.6 | 150 | 1990 - 2020 |
Japan | 10.2 | 151 | 1990 - 2020 |
Austria | 9.1 | 152 | 1990 - 2020 |
Luxembourg | 9.1 | 153 | 1990 - 2020 |
China | 8 | 154 | 1990 - 2020 |
USA | 8 | 155 | 1990 - 2020 |
Switzerland | 7.9 | 156 | 1990 - 2020 |
Definition: This method of estimating the size of the informal economy is based on a Dynamic General Equilibrium model where economic agents can allocate time and effort in the formal and the informal sector. Their allocation decision is driven by model parameters such as government spending and taxation. The theoretical model is calibrated to arrive at a measure of the size of the informal economy. The estimate is put to further robustness tests. See Elgin and Oztunali (2012) for further methodological detail.
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60.40
58.20
54.90
54.90
46.10
46.00
46.00
45.00
44.80
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43.00
42.80
42.60
42.40
42.10
41.10
40.70
40.70
40.60
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40.30
40.00
39.90
39.70
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39.50
39.10
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38.40
37.70
37.60
36.80
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36.40
36.00
35.70
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35.50
35.50
35.00
34.00
33.70
33.40
33.20
33.00
32.90
32.70
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32.40
32.40
32.00
31.70
31.60
31.30
31.20
30.90
30.50
30.40
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29.80
29.40
29.30
29.30
29.00
28.70
28.50
28.40
28.40
28.10
28.00
27.80
27.80
27.70
27.30
27.20
27.20
26.80
26.60
26.40
26.10
26.00
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25.90
25.90
25.80
25.70
25.70
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25.20
25.20
25.10
24.90
24.80
24.70
24.50
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23.90
23.80
22.90
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22.70
22.70
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22.50
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22.30
22.10
22.10
21.20
20.60
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17.10
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14.90
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13.90
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12.60
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11.70
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10.80
10.60
10.20
9.10
9.10
8.00
8.00
7.90
0
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