Self-employed — all countries

Self-employed — Europe & Central Asia

Self-employed in Europe & Central Asia in 2025 — 16.7%. Since 1991, the indicator has fallen by 3.3 pp.

2025 16.7% −0.1 pp vs 2024
World rank
Period maximum 21.6%1997
Period minimum 16.7%2025

Trend over time

1991–2025 · % of employment

Self-employed — Europe & Central Asia, 1991–20251618202219911995199920032007201120152019202320251991: 19.9%1992: 20.3%1993: 20.6%1994: 21.1%1995: 21.3%1996: 21.3%1997: 21.6%1998: 21.6%1999: 21.3%2000: 21%2001: 20.9%2002: 20.4%2003: 20.4%2004: 19.9%2005: 19.6%2006: 19.4%2007: 19%2008: 18.8%2009: 18.9%2010: 19%2011: 19%2012: 18.8%2013: 18.8%2014: 18.7%2015: 18.5%2016: 18.3%2017: 18.1%2018: 17.9%2019: 17.7%2020: 17.6%2021: 17.3%2022: 17%2023: 16.8%2024: 16.7%2025: 16.7%
Change over the period: −3.3 pp Annual average: -0.1 pp

Comparison, 2025

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Europe & Central Asia

Europe & Central Asia 16.7%
World 46.4%
Self-employed — Europe & Central Asia, by year Europe & Central Asia All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2025 16.7 −0.1 pp
2024 16.7 −0.1 pp
2023 16.8 −0.2 pp
2022 17 −0.3 pp
2021 17.3 −0.2 pp
2020 17.6 −0.1 pp
2019 17.7 −0.1 pp
2018 17.9 −0.2 pp
2017 18.1 −0.3 pp
2016 18.3 −0.1 pp
2015 18.5 −0.2 pp
2014 18.7 −0.1 pp
2013 18.8 −0.1 pp
2012 18.8 −0.1 pp
2011 19 −0 pp
2010 19 +0.1 pp
2009 18.9 +0.2 pp
2008 18.8 −0.3 pp
2007 19 −0.4 pp
2006 19.4 −0.2 pp
2005 19.6 −0.3 pp
2004 19.9 −0.4 pp
2003 20.4 −0.1 pp
2002 20.4 −0.5 pp
2001 20.9 −0 pp
2000 21 −0.3 pp
1999 21.3 −0.3 pp
1998 21.6 −0.1 pp
1997 21.6 +0.3 pp
1996 21.3 +0 pp
1995 21.3 +0.2 pp
1994 21.1 +0.5 pp
1993 20.6 +0.2 pp
1992 20.3 +0.4 pp
1991 19.9

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.