Shadow Economy Percentage by Country. Source: Voronoi App
The graphic, based on the Ernst & Young Global Shadow Economy Report 2025, illustrates the share of the shadow economy in each country worldwide.
The shadow economy covers legal transactions that are hidden to evade taxes, informal work by unregistered small businesses, and outright illegal activities like drug trade. It also includes non-monetary household production for personal use.
The Global Shadow Economy ($12.5T) Is Nearly Half the Size of U.S. GDP ($27,7T).
Globally, the shadow economy is estimated to represent 11.8% of total GDP. In countries like Sierra Leone, Niger, and Nepal, it exceeds 50% of national GDP. By contrast, the United States' underground economy is smaller but still significant, comprising about 5% of GDP, or roughly $1.4 trillion.
Top 10 countries with the highest share of the shadow economy:
| # | Country | Share (%) | Value ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🇸🇱 Sierra Leone | 64.5 | $4.1B |
| 2 | 🇳🇪 Niger | 56.3 | $9.5B |
| 3 | 🇳🇵 Nepal | 51.0 | $20.9B |
| 4 | 🇪🇹 Ethiopia | 50.2 | $80.2B |
| 5 | 🇧🇮 Burundi | 49.2 | $2.1B |
| 6 | 🇲🇱 Mali | 46.8 | $9.5B |
| 7 | 🇹🇿 Tanzania | 44.7 | $35.4B |
| 8 | 🇧🇫 Burkina Faso | 43.8 | $8.9B |
| 9 | 🇨🇩 DRC | 42.1 | $28.2B |
| 10 | 🇲🇿 Mozambique | 39.8 | $8.4B |
Top 30 countries with the lowest share of the shadow economy:
| # | Country | Share (%) | Value ($) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🇦🇪 UAE | 2.1 | $10.8B |
| 2 | 🇶🇦 Qatar | 2.2 | $4.7B |
| 3 | 🇧🇭 Bahrain | 2.5 | $1.2B |
| 4 | 🇸🇬 Singapore | 3.4 | $17.0B |
| 5 | 🇰🇼 Kuwait | 4.0 | $6.5B |
| 6 | 🇨🇦 Canada | 4.5 | $96.4B |
| 7 | 🇺🇸 United States | 5.0 | $1,386.0B |
| 8 | 🇮🇪 Ireland | 5.1 | $28.1B |
| 9 | 🇨🇭 Switzerland | 5.1 | $45.1B |
| 10 | 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia | 5.2 | $55.5B |
| 11 | 🇨🇾 Cyprus | 5.3 | $1.8B |
| 12 | 🇬🇧 UK | 5.3 | $179.2B |
| 13 | 🇧🇸 Bahamas | 5.4 | $0.8B |
| 14 | 🇮🇱 Israel | 5.5 | $28.2B |
| 15 | 🇦🇺 Australia | 5.7 | $98.5B |
| 16 | 🇩🇰 Denmark | 5.9 | $24.0B |
| 17 | 🇱🇺 Luxembourg | 6.1 | $5.2B |
| 18 | 🇳🇱 Netherlands | 6.3 | $72.7B |
| 19 | 🇳🇴 Norway | 6.4 | $31.1B |
| 20 | 🇴🇲 Oman | 6.4 | $7.0B |
| 21 | 🇨🇿 Czechia | 6.5 | $22.3B |
| 22 | 🇦🇹 Austria | 6.6 | $33.8B |
| 23 | 🇧🇪 Belgium | 6.6 | $42.6B |
| 24 | 🇫🇮 Finland | 6.6 | $19.5B |
| 25 | 🇫🇷 France | 6.7 | $204.5B |
| 26 | 🇯🇵 Japan | 6.7 | $281.7B |
| 27 | 🇸🇪 Sweden | 6.7 | $39.2B |
| 28 | 🇩🇪 Germany | 6.8 | $307.7B |
| 29 | 🇪🇪 Estonia | 7.4 | $3.1B |
| 30 | 🇱🇹 Lithuania | 7.4 | $5.9B |
Posted Using INLEO
