Street Vendors and Market Traders in 12 Countries: Key Facts

Traders and vendors comprise a significant part of employment

Over one million people work as market traders or street vendors nationally in Ghana, Senegal, Uganda, Peru and Thailand. In Senegal, the share of total employment of these two groups is as high as 24 per cent, and 52 per cent in the capital, Dakar. In India, market traders and street vendors together comprise 16.5 million workers, and over two million workers are in these groups in the larger countries of South America (Brazil and Mexico).

In three-quarters of the countries, more women than men are street vendors

Women predominate among street vendors in nine countries: Ghana, where they are 83 per cent, Peru with 68 per cent, El Salvador with 67 per cent, South Africa 62 per cent, Senegal 57 per cent, Mexico 56 per cent, Uganda 54 per cent, Brazil 53 per cent and Thailand 53 per cent. In Türkiye, men comprise the overwhelming majority at 85 per cent, and in Chile 55 per cent. Women comprise the majority of market traders in half of the countries: Ghana, Uganda, Thailand, El Salvador, Mexico and Peru. In Ghana, women make up 83 per cent of market traders, and in El Salvador, 72 per cent.

The overwhelming majority of traders and vendors are in informal employment

All market traders and street vendors in India, and almost all workers in these groups in Ghana and Uganda, are informally employed. In most of the other countries (with the exceptions of Türkiye and Chile), at least 80 per cent of market traders are informal. Among street vendors in Mexico, South Africa, Senegal, Peru, El Salvador and Thailand, more than 90 per cent are informally employed.

Most women in market trade and street vending are own-account workers

Most women in market trade and street vending are own-account workers, that is, self-employed with no employees. The exceptions are women market traders in Türkiye, where 33 per cent are own-account workers, and women market traders and street vendors in India, where 76 per cent of the two groups combined are employees. The percentages of women in own-account employment among market traders nationally range from 50 per cent in Peru to 86 per cent in Ghana. Among women in street vending, the percentages are even higher, ranging from 72 per cent to 89 per cent across the countries, except in Türkiye and India.

Market traders work longer hours than street vendors

Market traders tend to have longer working hours than street vendors, and women work fewer hours than men in both worker groups.  Among street vendors, a higher proportion of men than women generally have very long working hours (more than 48 hours a week). Generally in the 12 countries, the hours of work for market traders and for street vendors are longer in the major city than nationally.

Educational levels of traders and vendors vary widely across the countries

Completion of secondary-level schooling accounts for the largest share of market traders for both women and men in half of the countries: Ghana, South Africa, Uganda, Chile, Mexico and Peru. Among street vendors, completion of secondary-level schooling is the largest share in Ghana, Brazil, Chile, Mexico and Peru. In Uganda, Chile, Mexico and Peru, a substantial share of market traders has post-secondary/tertiary education. In the three Latin American countries, the share ranges from 22 per cent to 35 per cent for women and 25 per cent to 38 per cent for men. In Senegal and El Salvador, a large share of market traders and street vendors have less than a primary education: among street vendors in Senegal, 68 per cent of women and 66 per cent of men.

Most market traders and street vendors are at peak working ages

The majority of workers in market trade and street vending are between the ages of 25 and 54 across all 12 countries. The youngest (15 to 24 years old) account for almost one-quarter or more of employment in market trade in Uganda, El Salvador and Peru. Among street vendors, the youngest age group accounts for about the same level of employment; and a slightly lower share of employment in Senegal, Uganda and El Salvador. Workers who are 65 and older make up a very small portion of employment in market trade and street vending in the African countries and India, but a larger portion in the Latin American countries.

Street Vendors and Market Traders in 12 Countries: A Statistical Profile (WIEGO Statistical Brief No. 40, on which this blog is based), by Tomás Ramírez and Joann Vanek, forms part of WIEGO’s Publication Series.

Top photo: A market trader at her stall in Bangkok, Thailand. Credit: Paula Bronstein/Getty Images