In most countries black-market work is not an exception, but the norm. A recent study comissioned by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) revealed that the shadow economy was booming. Illicit economic activities constitutes between 20 to 30% of GDP in many southern European countries.

An estimated two billion people work for this global black market, in every activity from trafficking arms to farming to construction.

Photo: Illegal vendors on Passeig de Gracia, Barcelona. Alex Griffoen

According to Freidrich Schneider who carried out the IEA study, the so-called informal economy has grown in recent years because of rising tax rates and an overall decline in the quality of public institutions.

Explore our Mondo map to discover where the shadow encomy lurks, and how governments try to combat it...

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