Introduction to Querétaro’s Economic Informality
According to the Mediciones de la Economía Informal Trimestral por Entidad Federativa (Meitef) published by the Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía (Inegi), Querétaro’s Gross Added Value (GAV) in the informal economy increased by 4.9% during the first quarter of 2025, compared to the same period in 2024.
State Growth Surpasses National Variation
Querétaro’s growth rate of 4.9% surpassed the national variation of 4% during the same period by 0.9 percentage points. This state’s performance in the informal economy contributed 0.10 percentage points to the national increase.
Querétaro’s Ranking Among Other Entities
With a 4.9% growth, Querétaro ranked 13th among the 32 federal entities. Oaxaca led with a 9.2% increase, while Campeche trailed behind with a -15.4% decrease.
Annual Growth Comparison
Querétaro’s informal economy growth of 4.9% in the first quarter of 2025 is slightly above the 4.6% growth recorded in the same quarter of 2024.
Components of Informal Economy GAV
The GAV of the informal economy consists of two indicators: the informal sector and other forms of informality.
- The informal sector includes all economic activities conducted by businesses without legal personality, owned by households.
- Other forms of informality involve workers in formal companies who lack social security and benefits, such as vacations, end-of-year bonuses, termination compensation, etc.
Growth in Informal Sector and Other Modalities
Informal Sector Growth:
The informal sector grew annually by 6.3% in Querétaro during the January-March quarter, surpassing the national trend of 5.6%. The state contributed 0.12 percentage points to the nation’s variation.
Other Modalities of Informality Growth:
Annual growth for other informality modalities was 3.4% in Querétaro, exceeding the national growth of 2.1%. Consequently, Querétaro added 0.07 percentage points to the national variation.
Increase in Remuneration and Informal Employment
Regarding employment generated by the informal economy, it grew by 4% in the first quarter of 2025, surpassing the national growth rate of 2.7%, as per the remunerated jobs report.
- In the informal sector, employment grew by 6%, while the national variation was 2.3%.
- In other informality modalities, the annual advance was 3.2%, compared to the national 2.9%.
Remuneration Growth in Informal Economy
Wages in Querétaro’s informal economy increased by 14.8% annually, which was the second-highest growth rate after Oaxaca’s 16.9%. The national average was 8.7%.
- In the informal sector, wages rose by 15.3%, while the national variation was 9%.
- In other informality modalities, wages increased by 14.6%, compared to the national 8.6%.
Key Questions and Answers
- What is the informal economy? The informal economy comprises activities and businesses without legal personality, often owned by households, and workers in formal companies lacking social security benefits.
- Why is Querétaro’s informal economy growth significant? Querétaro’s 4.9% growth rate surpasses the national average, indicating a robust informal sector contributing to the state’s economy.
- How does Querétaro’s informal economy compare to other entities? Querétaro ranked 13th among the 32 federal entities, with Oaxaca leading at 9.2% growth.
- What factors drive informal economy growth? Factors include the expansion of the informal sector, other informality modalities, and increased remuneration and employment.
