Statistics on the Informal Economy: Definitions, Regional Estimates & Challenges

This publication serves as a companion to a publication jointly produced by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and WIEGO titled Women and Men in the Informal Economy: A Statistical Picture, 2nd Edition. The first edition of Women and Men in the Informal Economy: A Statistical Picture, published in 2002, contained regional estimates based on data from just 25 countries. The new regional estimates represent advances, including the availability of more and better data and the use of a more sophisticated, robust analytic approach that combines direct and indirect measures.