Self-employed — all countries

Self-employed — High-income countries

Self-employed in high-income countries in 2025 — 11%. Since 1991, the indicator has fallen by 4.3 pp.

2025 11% −0.1 pp vs 2024
World rank
Period maximum 15.4%1994
Period minimum 11%2025

Trend over time

1991–2025 · % of employment

Self-employed — High-income countries, 1991–20251012141619911995199920032007201120152019202320251991: 15.3%1992: 15.3%1993: 15.3%1994: 15.4%1995: 15.3%1996: 15.2%1997: 15.3%1998: 15%1999: 14.7%2000: 14.5%2001: 14.3%2002: 14.1%2003: 14.1%2004: 14%2005: 13.8%2006: 13.6%2007: 13.3%2008: 13%2009: 13%2010: 13%2011: 12.8%2012: 12.8%2013: 12.6%2014: 12.6%2015: 12.4%2016: 12.2%2017: 12%2018: 11.9%2019: 11.8%2020: 11.7%2021: 11.7%2022: 11.4%2023: 11.2%2024: 11.1%2025: 11%
Change over the period: −4.3 pp Annual average: -0.13 pp

Comparison, 2025

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: High-income countries

High-income countries 11%
World 46.4%
Self-employed — High-income countries, by year High-income countries All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2025 11 −0.1 pp
2024 11.1 −0.1 pp
2023 11.2 −0.2 pp
2022 11.4 −0.3 pp
2021 11.7 −0 pp
2020 11.7 −0.1 pp
2019 11.8 −0.1 pp
2018 11.9 −0.1 pp
2017 12 −0.2 pp
2016 12.2 −0.1 pp
2015 12.4 −0.2 pp
2014 12.6 −0.1 pp
2013 12.6 −0.1 pp
2012 12.8 −0.1 pp
2011 12.8 −0.1 pp
2010 13 −0 pp
2009 13 +0 pp
2008 13 −0.3 pp
2007 13.3 −0.3 pp
2006 13.6 −0.2 pp
2005 13.8 −0.2 pp
2004 14 −0.1 pp
2003 14.1 −0 pp
2002 14.1 −0.3 pp
2001 14.3 −0.1 pp
2000 14.5 −0.3 pp
1999 14.7 −0.3 pp
1998 15 −0.3 pp
1997 15.3 +0.1 pp
1996 15.2 −0.1 pp
1995 15.3 −0.1 pp
1994 15.4 +0.1 pp
1993 15.3 +0 pp
1992 15.3 +0 pp
1991 15.3

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.