Self-employed — all countries

Self-employed — Belgium

Self-employed in Belgium in 2025 — 14.6%. Ranked 139 in the world out of 182. Since 1991, the indicator has fallen by 2.7 pp.

2025 14.6% −0.1 pp vs 2024
World rank 139of 182
Period maximum 18%1996
Period minimum 14.2%2008

Trend over time

1991–2025 · % of employment

Self-employed — Belgium, 1991–2025141516171819911995199920032007201120152019202320251991: 17.3%1992: 17.9%1993: 17.9%1994: 17.7%1995: 17.9%1996: 18%1997: 17.2%1998: 17.4%1999: 17.3%2000: 16%2001: 15.2%2002: 15.4%2003: 15.2%2004: 14.7%2005: 15.2%2006: 15.1%2007: 14.8%2008: 14.2%2009: 14.8%2010: 14.4%2011: 14.3%2012: 14.3%2013: 15.1%2014: 14.6%2015: 15.2%2016: 14.8%2017: 14.5%2018: 14.6%2019: 14.8%2020: 15.5%2021: 14.5%2022: 15.3%2023: 14.7%2024: 14.7%2025: 14.6%
Change over the period: −2.7 pp Annual average: -0.08 pp

Comparison, 2025

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

Belgium 14.6%
World 46.4%
Western Europe computed 11.6%
High-income countries computed 11%
Self-employed — Belgium, by year Belgium All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2025 14.6 −0.1 pp
2024 14.7 −0.1 pp
2023 14.7 −0.5 pp
2022 15.3 +0.8 pp
2021 14.5 −0.9 pp
2020 15.5 +0.7 pp
2019 14.8 +0.2 pp
2018 14.6 +0.1 pp
2017 14.5 −0.3 pp
2016 14.8 −0.3 pp
2015 15.2 +0.6 pp
2014 14.6 −0.5 pp
2013 15.1 +0.7 pp
2012 14.3 +0 pp
2011 14.3 −0.1 pp
2010 14.4 −0.4 pp
2009 14.8 +0.6 pp
2008 14.2 −0.6 pp
2007 14.8 −0.3 pp
2006 15.1 −0.2 pp
2005 15.2 +0.5 pp
2004 14.7 −0.5 pp
2003 15.2 −0.3 pp
2002 15.4 +0.2 pp
2001 15.2 −0.8 pp
2000 16 −1.2 pp
1999 17.3 −0.1 pp
1998 17.4 +0.2 pp
1997 17.2 −0.8 pp
1996 18 +0 pp
1995 17.9 +0.2 pp
1994 17.7 −0.2 pp
1993 17.9 +0.1 pp
1992 17.9 +0.6 pp
1991 17.3

Western Europe, 2025

The same indicator for neighboring countries — with links to their pages

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.