Self-employed — all countries

Self-employed — Barbados

Self-employed in Barbados in 2025 — 19.5%. Ranked 123 in the world out of 182. Since 1991, the indicator has risen by 6.8 pp.

2025 19.5% −0.3 pp vs 2024
World rank 123of 182
Period maximum 20.6%2019
Period minimum 12.3%1997

Trend over time

1991–2025 · % of employment

Self-employed — Barbados, 1991–20251012.51517.52022.519911995199920032007201120152019202320251991: 12.7%1992: 13%1993: 14.2%1994: 13%1995: 13%1996: 12.8%1997: 12.3%1998: 12.7%1999: 14.1%2000: 12.8%2001: 14.1%2002: 14.1%2003: 14.5%2004: 15.3%2005: 15.4%2006: 15.5%2007: 15.7%2008: 15.9%2009: 16.2%2010: 16.5%2011: 16.7%2012: 17.1%2013: 17.3%2014: 17.2%2015: 17%2016: 18.2%2017: 19.6%2018: 20.3%2019: 20.6%2020: 20.2%2021: 19.5%2022: 19.7%2023: 20%2024: 19.8%2025: 19.5%
Change over the period: +6.8 pp Annual average: 0.2 pp

Comparison, 2025

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Barbados

Barbados 19.5%
World 46.4%
High-income countries computed 11%
Self-employed — Barbados, by year Barbados All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2025 19.5 −0.3 pp
2024 19.8 −0.2 pp
2023 20 +0.2 pp
2022 19.7 +0.2 pp
2021 19.5 −0.7 pp
2020 20.2 −0.4 pp
2019 20.6 +0.3 pp
2018 20.3 +0.7 pp
2017 19.6 +1.5 pp
2016 18.2 +1.2 pp
2015 17 −0.2 pp
2014 17.2 −0.2 pp
2013 17.3 +0.3 pp
2012 17.1 +0.3 pp
2011 16.7 +0.3 pp
2010 16.5 +0.3 pp
2009 16.2 +0.3 pp
2008 15.9 +0.2 pp
2007 15.7 +0.2 pp
2006 15.5 +0.1 pp
2005 15.4 +0.1 pp
2004 15.3 +0.8 pp
2003 14.5 +0.4 pp
2002 14.1 +0 pp
2001 14.1 +1.4 pp
2000 12.8 −1.3 pp
1999 14.1 +1.4 pp
1998 12.7 +0.4 pp
1997 12.3 −0.6 pp
1996 12.8 −0.1 pp
1995 13 −0.1 pp
1994 13 −1.1 pp
1993 14.2 +1.2 pp
1992 13 +0.3 pp
1991 12.7

About the indicator

The share of total employment that is self-employed: employers, own-account workers, members of producers cooperatives and contributing family workers. High values in low-income countries reflect not developed entrepreneurship but the absence of wage jobs and informal work in agriculture and small-scale trade.

Source: ILOSTAT (ILO), license CC BY 4.0.