Informal Economy Database

Summary

The World Bank’s Prospects Group has constructed a global database of informal economic activity. The database includes up to 196 economies over the period 1990-2020 and includes the 11 most commonly used measures of informal economy.

Output:

• Dynamic General Equilibrium (DGE) model-based estimates of informal output
• Multiple Indicators Multiple Causes (MIMIC) model-based estimates of informal output

Employment:

• Self-employment
• Informal employment
• Employment outside the formal sector
• Labor force without pension insurance

Perceptions:

• One indicator based on World Economic Forum (WEF)’s Executive Opinion surveys   
• Four indicators based on World Bank Enterprise Surveys of firms
• One indicator  based on World Value Surveys (WVS) of households

The database includes both indirect, model-based estimates (DGE- and MIMIC-based indicators) and direct measures gathered from labor force or expert, firm, or household opinion surveys.

Tables In IFs

Variable	Definition	Last IFs Update	UsedInPreprocessor	UsedInPreprocessorFileName
GDPInformal%Elgin	Informal economy as % of GDP, from Elgin and Oztunali (2012)	4/4/2014	1	ECONOMY
GDPInformal%WBDGE	informal output (% of official GDP), dynamic general equilibrium model-based (DGE) estimates	12/22/2021	0
GDPInformal%WBMIMIC	informal output (% of official GDP), multiple indicators multiple causes model-based (MIMIC) estimates	12/22/2021	0
LaborInformal%WB	Informal employment (% of total employment; International Labour Organization; hamonized series)	12/22/2021	0
LaborInformaSectorl%WB	Employment outside the formal sector (% of total employment; International Labour Organization; hamonized series)	12/22/2021	0

Data Pulling Instructions

1. Navigate to https://www.worldbank.org/en/research/brief/informal-economy-database
2. Click "Informal economy data (Excel)"