Self-employed — all countries

Self-employed — El Salvador

Self-employed in El Salvador in 2025 — 35.7%. Ranked 86 in the world out of 182. Since 1991, the indicator has fallen by 6 pp.

2025 35.7% −0.4 pp vs 2024
World rank 86of 182
Period maximum 43.5%1994
Period minimum 35.7%2025

Trend over time

1991–2025 · % of employment

Self-employed — El Salvador, 1991–202534363840424419911995199920032007201120152019202320251991: 41.6%1992: 41.5%1993: 41.1%1994: 43.5%1995: 43%1996: 43.4%1997: 43%1998: 42.8%1999: 42.7%2000: 42.6%2001: 43.1%2002: 43.5%2003: 41.9%2004: 41.1%2005: 42.9%2006: 40.8%2007: 41.4%2008: 41.6%2009: 42%2010: 41.8%2011: 41.7%2012: 41.8%2013: 41.9%2014: 39.6%2015: 40.4%2016: 40%2017: 40.3%2018: 38.9%2019: 39.1%2020: 38.8%2021: 36.8%2022: 36.5%2023: 36.3%2024: 36%2025: 35.7%
Change over the period: −6 pp Annual average: -0.18 pp

Comparison, 2025

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

El Salvador 35.7%
World 46.4%
Central America computed 33.1%
Self-employed — El Salvador, by year El Salvador All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2025 35.7 −0.4 pp
2024 36 −0.3 pp
2023 36.3 −0.2 pp
2022 36.5 −0.3 pp
2021 36.8 −2 pp
2020 38.8 −0.3 pp
2019 39.1 +0.3 pp
2018 38.9 −1.4 pp
2017 40.3 +0.2 pp
2016 40 −0.4 pp
2015 40.4 +0.9 pp
2014 39.6 −2.4 pp
2013 41.9 +0.2 pp
2012 41.8 +0.1 pp
2011 41.7 −0.1 pp
2010 41.8 −0.2 pp
2009 42 +0.4 pp
2008 41.6 +0.3 pp
2007 41.4 +0.6 pp
2006 40.8 −2.1 pp
2005 42.9 +1.7 pp
2004 41.1 −0.7 pp
2003 41.9 −1.6 pp
2002 43.5 +0.5 pp
2001 43.1 +0.5 pp
2000 42.6 −0.1 pp
1999 42.7 −0.1 pp
1998 42.8 −0.2 pp
1997 43 −0.4 pp
1996 43.4 +0.4 pp
1995 43 −0.5 pp
1994 43.5 +2.4 pp
1993 41.1 −0.4 pp
1992 41.5 −0.1 pp
1991 41.6

Central America, 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.