Self-employed — all countries

Self-employed — Germany

Self-employed in Germany in 2025 — 8.1%. Ranked 168 in the world out of 182. Since 1991, the indicator has fallen by 1.5 pp.

2025 8.1% −0 pp vs 2024
World rank 168of 182
Period maximum 12.4%2006
Period minimum 8.1%2025

Trend over time

1991–2025 · % of employment

Self-employed — Germany, 1991–2025810121419911995199920032007201120152019202320251991: 9.7%1992: 10%1993: 10.3%1994: 10.6%1995: 10.7%1996: 10.6%1997: 10.9%1998: 11%1999: 10.8%2000: 10.9%2001: 11.1%2002: 11.1%2003: 11.4%2004: 12.1%2005: 12.3%2006: 12.4%2007: 11.9%2008: 11.5%2009: 11.5%2010: 11.2%2011: 11.7%2012: 11.6%2013: 11.2%2014: 10.9%2015: 10.7%2016: 10.5%2017: 10.3%2018: 9.9%2019: 9.6%2020: 8.9%2021: 9%2022: 8.5%2023: 8.3%2024: 8.2%2025: 8.1%
Change over the period: −1.5 pp Annual average: -0.04 pp

Comparison, 2025

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

Germany 8.1%
World 46.4%
Western Europe computed 11.6%
High-income countries computed 11%
Self-employed — Germany, by year Germany All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2025 8.1 −0 pp
2024 8.2 −0.1 pp
2023 8.3 −0.2 pp
2022 8.5 −0.5 pp
2021 9 +0.1 pp
2020 8.9 −0.7 pp
2019 9.6 −0.3 pp
2018 9.9 −0.4 pp
2017 10.3 −0.2 pp
2016 10.5 −0.2 pp
2015 10.7 −0.2 pp
2014 10.9 −0.2 pp
2013 11.2 −0.4 pp
2012 11.6 −0.1 pp
2011 11.7 +0.5 pp
2010 11.2 −0.3 pp
2009 11.5 +0.1 pp
2008 11.5 −0.4 pp
2007 11.9 −0.6 pp
2006 12.4 +0.2 pp
2005 12.3 +0.2 pp
2004 12.1 +0.7 pp
2003 11.4 +0.3 pp
2002 11.1 −0 pp
2001 11.1 +0.3 pp
2000 10.9 +0.1 pp
1999 10.8 −0.2 pp
1998 11 +0.1 pp
1997 10.9 +0.3 pp
1996 10.6 −0.1 pp
1995 10.7 +0.1 pp
1994 10.6 +0.3 pp
1993 10.3 +0.3 pp
1992 10 +0.4 pp
1991 9.7

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.