Self-employed — all countries

Self-employed — Bulgaria

Self-employed in Bulgaria in 2025 — 11.8%. Ranked 157 in the world out of 182. Since 1991, the indicator has fallen by 4.6 pp.

2025 11.8% −0.1 pp vs 2024
World rank 157of 182
Period maximum 16.9%1994
Period minimum 10.7%2020

Trend over time

1991–2025 · % of employment

Self-employed — Bulgaria, 1991–2025101214161819911995199920032007201120152019202320251991: 16.4%1992: 16.6%1993: 16.8%1994: 16.9%1995: 16.9%1996: 16.7%1997: 16.7%1998: 16.6%1999: 16.8%2000: 16.9%2001: 15.7%2002: 15.6%2003: 16.2%2004: 16.1%2005: 14.3%2006: 13.1%2007: 12.4%2008: 12.3%2009: 12.3%2010: 12.8%2011: 12%2012: 11.6%2013: 11.7%2014: 12.7%2015: 12.3%2016: 11.6%2017: 11.9%2018: 12%2019: 11.5%2020: 10.7%2021: 11.2%2022: 11.6%2023: 12%2024: 11.9%2025: 11.8%
Change over the period: −4.6 pp Annual average: -0.13 pp

Comparison, 2025

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

Bulgaria 11.8%
World 46.4%
Eastern Europe computed 10.3%
Self-employed — Bulgaria, by year Bulgaria All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2025 11.8 −0.1 pp
2024 11.9 −0.1 pp
2023 12 +0.4 pp
2022 11.6 +0.4 pp
2021 11.2 +0.5 pp
2020 10.7 −0.7 pp
2019 11.5 −0.5 pp
2018 12 +0.1 pp
2017 11.9 +0.3 pp
2016 11.6 −0.7 pp
2015 12.3 −0.5 pp
2014 12.7 +1 pp
2013 11.7 +0.1 pp
2012 11.6 −0.5 pp
2011 12 −0.7 pp
2010 12.8 +0.4 pp
2009 12.3 +0.1 pp
2008 12.3 −0.1 pp
2007 12.4 −0.7 pp
2006 13.1 −1.1 pp
2005 14.3 −1.9 pp
2004 16.1 −0.1 pp
2003 16.2 +0.6 pp
2002 15.6 −0.2 pp
2001 15.7 −1.1 pp
2000 16.9 +0 pp
1999 16.8 +0.2 pp
1998 16.6 −0.1 pp
1997 16.7 +0 pp
1996 16.7 −0.2 pp
1995 16.9 −0 pp
1994 16.9 +0.1 pp
1993 16.8 +0.2 pp
1992 16.6 +0.2 pp
1991 16.4

Eastern 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.