Informal economy, MIMIC method - Country rankings

* indicates monthly or quarterly data series

Informal economy, MIMIC method, 2020:

The average for 2020 based on 158 countries was 32.74 percent. The highest value was in Bolivia: 64.2 percent and the lowest value was in Switzerland: 8.5 percent. The indicator is available from 1993 to 2020. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

Measure: percent; Source: Informal economy database
Select indicator
* indicates monthly or quarterly data series


Countries Informal economy, MIMIC method, 2020 Global rank Available data
Bolivia 64.2 1 1993 - 2020
Zimbabwe 62.2 2 1993 - 2020
Georgia 61.8 3 1993 - 2020
Panama 60.2 4 1993 - 2020
Peru 59.4 5 1993 - 2020
Nigeria 56.9 6 1993 - 2020
Haiti 55.1 7 1993 - 2020
Azerbaijan 54.8 8 1993 - 2020
R. of Congo 52.5 9 1993 - 2020
Tanzania 52.2 10 1993 - 2020
Guatemala 50.6 11 1993 - 2020
Gabon 49.7 12 1993 - 2020
Burma 49.6 13 1993 - 2020
Thailand 48.4 14 1993 - 2020
Uruguay 48.3 15 1993 - 2020
Honduras 48.1 16 1993 - 2020
Liberia 47.9 17 1993 - 2020
Gambia 47.7 18 1993 - 2020
Zambia 47.1 19 1993 - 2020
Ukraine 46.9 20 1993 - 2020
Belize 46.8 21 1993 - 2020
Angola 46.5 22 1993 - 2020
Benin 45.5 23 1993 - 2020
El Salvador 45.5 24 1993 - 2020
DR Congo 44.3 25 1993 - 2020
Cambodia 44.2 26 1993 - 2020
Chad 44.1 27 1993 - 2020
Madagascar 44.1 28 1993 - 2020
C.A. Republic 43.7 29 1993 - 2020
Armenia 43.6 30 1993 - 2020
Nicaragua 43.6 31 1993 - 2020
Sierra Leone 43.5 32 1993 - 2020
Belarus 43.1 33 1993 - 2020
Russia 43.1 34 1993 - 2020
Senegal 42.1 35 1993 - 2020
Sri Lanka 41.9 36 1993 - 2020
Burundi 41.2 37 1993 - 2020
Moldova 40.4 38 1993 - 2020
Eritrea 40.2 39 1993 - 2020
Mali 40.2 40 1993 - 2020
Brazil 40 41 1993 - 2020
Uganda 39.9 42 1993 - 2020
Philippines 39.8 43 1993 - 2020
G.-Bissau 39.6 44 1993 - 2020
Ivory Coast 39.3 45 1993 - 2020
Niger 39 46 1993 - 2020
Kazakhstan 38.4 47 1993 - 2020
Swaziland 38.3 48 1993 - 2020
Malawi 38 49 1993 - 2020
Ghana 37.7 50 1993 - 2020
Rwanda 37.7 51 1993 - 2020
Suriname 37.7 52 1993 - 2020
Tajikistan 37.7 53 1993 - 2020
Jamaica 37.6 54 1993 - 2020
Kyrgyzstan 37.6 55 1993 - 2020
Mozambique 37.5 56 1993 - 2020
Tunisia 37.5 57 1993 - 2020
Burkina Faso 37.4 58 1993 - 2020
Cape Verde 37.2 59 1993 - 2020
Comoros 37.1 60 1993 - 2020
Venezuela 37 61 1993 - 2020
Colombia 36.7 62 1993 - 2020
Paraguay 36.5 63 1993 - 2020
Libya 36.2 64 1993 - 2020
Guinea 35.6 65 1993 - 2020
Nepal 35.1 66 1993 - 2020
Pakistan 34.6 67 1993 - 2020
Eq. Guinea 34.5 68 1993 - 2020
Ethiopia 34.3 69 1993 - 2020
Morocco 34.3 70 1993 - 2020
North Macedonia 34.1 71 1993 - 2020
Bangladesh 34 72 1993 - 2020
Lebanon 33.9 73 1993 - 2020
Togo 33.7 74 1993 - 2020
Brunei 33.4 75 1993 - 2020
Ecuador 33.4 76 1993 - 2020
Tr.&Tobago 33.4 77 1993 - 2020
Papua N.G. 33.3 78 1993 - 2020
Fiji 33 79 1993 - 2020
Albania 32.8 80 1993 - 2020
Bulgaria 32.7 81 1993 - 2020
Mauritania 32.6 82 1993 - 2020
Algeria 32.2 83 1993 - 2020
Solomon Isl. 31.7 84 1993 - 2020
Egypt 31.6 85 1993 - 2020
Mexico 31.5 86 1993 - 2020
Bahamas 31.3 87 1993 - 2020
Bosnia & Herz. 31 88 1993 - 2020
Botswana 31 89 1993 - 2020
Maldives 31 90 1993 - 2020
Turkey 31 91 1993 - 2020
Romania 30.8 92 1993 - 2020
Kenya 30.7 93 1993 - 2020
Yemen 30.7 94 1993 - 2020
Croatia 30.6 95 1993 - 2020
Malaysia 30.5 96 1993 - 2020
Guyana 30.4 97 1993 - 2020
Namibia 30.4 98 1993 - 2020
Greece 30.2 99 1993 - 2020
Cameroon 30.1 100 1993 - 2020
Lesotho 30.1 101 1993 - 2020
Italy 29.8 102 1993 - 2020
UA Emirates 29.8 103 1993 - 2020
Domin. Rep. 29.7 104 1993 - 2020
Estonia 29.6 105 1993 - 2020
Lithuania 29.3 106 1993 - 2020
South Africa 28.8 107 1993 - 2020
Cyprus 28.6 108 1993 - 2020
Laos 28.1 109 1993 - 2020
Bhutan 27.7 110 1993 - 2020
Latvia 27.2 111 1993 - 2020
Malta 26 112 1993 - 2020
South Korea 26 113 1993 - 2020
Costa Rica 25.9 114 1993 - 2020
Slovenia 25.4 115 1993 - 2020
Argentina 25.3 116 1993 - 2020
Poland 25.2 117 1993 - 2020
Spain 23.4 118 1993 - 2020
Hungary 22.8 119 1993 - 2020
Bahrain 22.4 120 1993 - 2020
Mauritius 22.3 121 1993 - 2020
Portugal 22.3 122 1993 - 2020
Belgium 22.1 123 1993 - 2020
Kuwait 21.8 124 1993 - 2020
India 21.7 125 1993 - 2020
Oman 21.1 126 1993 - 2020
Israel 20.2 127 1993 - 2020
Syria 20.2 128 1993 - 2020
Qatar 19.8 129 1993 - 2020
Chile 19.4 130 1993 - 2020
Norway 19.3 131 1993 - 2020
Sweden 19.1 132 1993 - 2020
Jordan 18.8 133 1993 - 2020
Saudi Arabia 18.8 134 1993 - 2020
Iran 18.1 135 1993 - 2020
Indonesia 17.9 136 1993 - 2020
Finland 17.8 137 1993 - 2020
Czechia 17.6 138 1993 - 2020
Denmark 17.1 139 1993 - 2020
Slovakia 17 140 1993 - 2020
Mongolia 16.6 141 1993 - 2020
Canada 16 142 1993 - 2020
Iceland 15.9 143 1993 - 2020
Germany 15.6 144 1993 - 2020
France 15.4 145 1993 - 2020
Ireland 14.4 146 1993 - 2020
Vietnam 14.4 147 1993 - 2020
Australia 14 148 1993 - 2020
Netherlands 13.2 149 1993 - 2020
UK 12.8 150 1993 - 2020
Singapore 12.3 151 1993 - 2020
New Zealand 11.9 152 1993 - 2020
China 11.6 153 1993 - 2020
Japan 10.4 154 1993 - 2020
Luxembourg 10.2 155 1993 - 2020
Austria 10.1 156 1993 - 2020
Switzerland 8.5 157 1993 - 2020
USA 8.5 158 1993 - 2020



Definition: The MIMIC model of the World Bank uses the following variables as determinants of the informal economy: 1) size of government, 2) share of direct taxation, 3) fiscal freedom index, 4) business freedom index, 5) unemployment rate and GDP per capita, and 6) government effectiveness. It proposes that the following variables are affected by the informal economy: 1) growth rate of GDP per capita, 2) the labor force participation rate, and 3) currency as a ratio of M0. These variables are used in a Structural Equation Model (SEM) with a latent variable that is a measure of the size of the informal economy. See, for example, Schneider, Buehn, and Montenegro (International Economic Journal, 2010).

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1. Bolivia
2. Zimbabwe
3. Georgia
4. Panama
5. Peru
6. Nigeria
7. Haiti
8. Azerbaijan
9. R. of Congo
10. Tanzania
11. Guatemala
12. Gabon
13. Burma
14. Thailand
15. Uruguay
16. Honduras
17. Liberia
18. Gambia
19. Zambia
20. Ukraine
21. Belize
22. Angola
23. Benin
24. El Salvador
25. DR Congo
26. Cambodia
27. Chad
28. Madagascar
29. C.A. Republic
30. Armenia
31. Nicaragua
32. Sierra Leone
33. Belarus
34. Russia
35. Senegal
36. Sri Lanka
37. Burundi
38. Moldova
39. Eritrea
40. Mali
41. Brazil
42. Uganda
43. Philippines
44. G.-Bissau
45. Ivory Coast
46. Niger
47. Kazakhstan
48. Swaziland
49. Malawi
50. Ghana
51. Rwanda
52. Suriname
53. Tajikistan
54. Jamaica
55. Kyrgyzstan
56. Mozambique
57. Tunisia
58. Burkina Faso
59. Cape Verde
60. Comoros
61. Venezuela
62. Colombia
63. Paraguay
64. Libya
65. Guinea
66. Nepal
67. Pakistan
68. Eq. Guinea
69. Ethiopia
70. Morocco
71. North Macedonia
72. Bangladesh
73. Lebanon
74. Togo
75. Brunei
76. Ecuador
77. Tr.&Tobago
78. Papua N.G.
79. Fiji
80. Albania
81. Bulgaria
82. Mauritania
83. Algeria
84. Solomon Isl.
85. Egypt
86. Mexico
87. Bahamas
88. Bosnia & Herz.
89. Botswana
90. Maldives
91. Turkey
92. Romania
93. Kenya
94. Yemen
95. Croatia
96. Malaysia
97. Guyana
98. Namibia
99. Greece
100. Cameroon
101. Lesotho
102. Italy
103. UA Emirates
104. Domin. Rep.
105. Estonia
106. Lithuania
107. South Africa
108. Cyprus
109. Laos
110. Bhutan
111. Latvia
112. Malta
113. South Korea
114. Costa Rica
115. Slovenia
116. Argentina
117. Poland
118. Spain
119. Hungary
120. Bahrain
121. Mauritius
122. Portugal
123. Belgium
124. Kuwait
125. India
126. Oman
127. Israel
128. Syria
129. Qatar
130. Chile
131. Norway
132. Sweden
133. Jordan
134. Saudi Arabia
135. Iran
136. Indonesia
137. Finland
138. Czechia
139. Denmark
140. Slovakia
141. Mongolia
142. Canada
143. Iceland
144. Germany
145. France
146. Ireland
147. Vietnam
148. Australia
149. Netherlands
150. UK
151. Singapore
152. New Zealand
153. China
154. Japan
155. Luxembourg
156. Austria
157. Switzerland
158. USA
64.20
62.20
61.80
60.20
59.40
56.90
55.10
54.80
52.50
52.20
50.60
49.70
49.60
48.40
48.30
48.10
47.90
47.70
47.10
46.90
46.80
46.50
45.50
45.50
44.30
44.20
44.10
44.10
43.70
43.60
43.60
43.50
43.10
43.10
42.10
41.90
41.20
40.40
40.20
40.20
40.00
39.90
39.80
39.60
39.30
39.00
38.40
38.30
38.00
37.70
37.70
37.70
37.70
37.60
37.60
37.50
37.50
37.40
37.20
37.10
37.00
36.70
36.50
36.20
35.60
35.10
34.60
34.50
34.30
34.30
34.10
34.00
33.90
33.70
33.40
33.40
33.40
33.30
33.00
32.80
32.70
32.60
32.20
31.70
31.60
31.50
31.30
31.00
31.00
31.00
31.00
30.80
30.70
30.70
30.60
30.50
30.40
30.40
30.20
30.10
30.10
29.80
29.80
29.70
29.60
29.30
28.80
28.60
28.10
27.70
27.20
26.00
26.00
25.90
25.40
25.30
25.20
23.40
22.80
22.40
22.30
22.30
22.10
21.80
21.70
21.10
20.20
20.20
19.80
19.40
19.30
19.10
18.80
18.80
18.10
17.90
17.80
17.60
17.10
17.00
16.60
16.00
15.90
15.60
15.40
14.40
14.40
14.00
13.20
12.80
12.30
11.90
11.60
10.40
10.20
10.10
8.50
8.50
0
16.1
32.1
48.2
64.2


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