Peru micro and small enterprises struggle with high informality

Micro and small enterprises (mypes) in Peru have failed to recover their pre-pandemic levels of formalization. According to data from ComexPerú, the number of formal mypes in 2025 reached 801,134, significantly lower than the 980,357 recorded in 2019.

Informality remains a critical structural challenge. The OECD notes that high levels of evasion create inequities and disadvantage compliant businesses. In Peru, the informality rate for mypes is approximately 87%, with the services sector seeing rates as high as 88.3%. This issue is compounded by labor instability; over 90% of mypes workers do not receive a fixed salary, a trend particularly prevalent in the commerce (96%) and services (90%) sectors. This income variability makes it difficult for businesses to comply with electronic payroll obligations.

While mypes represent 99.5% of Peruvian companies and contribute 13.7% to the GDP, their economic weight has declined from 19.5% in 2019. In the La Libertad region, although the number of mypes grew slightly to 375,475 in 2025, the informality rate rose to 86.8%.