Self-employed — all countries

Self-employed — Low-income countries

Self-employed in low-income countries in 2025 — 78.5%. Since 1991, the indicator has risen by 0.6 pp.

2025 78.5% −0.2 pp vs 2024
World rank
Period maximum 78.9%2023
Period minimum 77.4%2011

Trend over time

1991–2025 · % of employment

Self-employed — Low-income countries, 1991–20257777.57878.57919911995199920032007201120152019202320251991: 78%1992: 78.2%1993: 78.3%1994: 78.6%1995: 78.9%1996: 78.7%1997: 78.6%1998: 78.5%1999: 78.4%2000: 78.4%2001: 78.4%2002: 78.4%2003: 78.4%2004: 78.4%2005: 78.3%2006: 78.1%2007: 78%2008: 77.7%2009: 77.6%2010: 77.4%2011: 77.4%2012: 77.5%2013: 77.8%2014: 77.8%2015: 77.9%2016: 77.9%2017: 77.8%2018: 77.8%2019: 77.8%2020: 78.6%2021: 78%2022: 77.7%2023: 78.9%2024: 78.7%2025: 78.5%
Change over the period: +0.6 pp Annual average: 0.02 pp

Comparison, 2025

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

Low-income countries 78.5%
World 46.4%
Self-employed — Low-income countries, by year Low-income countries All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2025 78.5 −0.2 pp
2024 78.7 −0.2 pp
2023 78.9 +1.2 pp
2022 77.7 −0.3 pp
2021 78 −0.6 pp
2020 78.6 +0.7 pp
2019 77.8 +0.1 pp
2018 77.8 +0 pp
2017 77.8 −0.1 pp
2016 77.9 −0.1 pp
2015 77.9 +0.1 pp
2014 77.8 +0.1 pp
2013 77.8 +0.2 pp
2012 77.5 +0.2 pp
2011 77.4 −0.1 pp
2010 77.4 −0.1 pp
2009 77.6 −0.1 pp
2008 77.7 −0.4 pp
2007 78 −0.1 pp
2006 78.1 −0.2 pp
2005 78.3 −0.1 pp
2004 78.4 −0 pp
2003 78.4 −0 pp
2002 78.4 −0 pp
2001 78.4 −0 pp
2000 78.4 −0 pp
1999 78.4 −0.1 pp
1998 78.5 −0.1 pp
1997 78.6 −0.1 pp
1996 78.7 −0.1 pp
1995 78.9 +0.2 pp
1994 78.6 +0.3 pp
1993 78.3 +0.1 pp
1992 78.2 +0.2 pp
1991 78

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.