Self-employed — all countries

Self-employed — Lower-middle-income countries

Self-employed in lower-middle-income countries in 2025 — 67.4%. Since 1991, the indicator has fallen by 8.9 pp.

2025 67.4% −0.3 pp vs 2024
World rank
Period maximum 76.3%1991
Period minimum 67.4%2025

Trend over time

1991–2025 · % of employment

Self-employed — Lower-middle-income countries, 1991–20256567.57072.57577.519911995199920032007201120152019202320251991: 76.3%1992: 76.2%1993: 76.1%1994: 75.9%1995: 75.9%1996: 75.7%1997: 75.4%1998: 75.2%1999: 75.1%2000: 75%2001: 74.7%2002: 74.5%2003: 74.3%2004: 74%2005: 73.6%2006: 73.2%2007: 72.9%2008: 72.7%2009: 72.4%2010: 72%2011: 71.2%2012: 70.5%2013: 70.2%2014: 69.8%2015: 69.2%2016: 68.7%2017: 68.3%2018: 67.9%2019: 67.6%2020: 68%2021: 67.5%2022: 68.3%2023: 68.1%2024: 67.7%2025: 67.4%
Change over the period: −8.9 pp Annual average: -0.26 pp

Comparison, 2025

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

Lower-middle-income countries 67.4%
World 46.4%
Self-employed — Lower-middle-income countries, by year Lower-middle-income countries All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2025 67.4 −0.3 pp
2024 67.7 −0.3 pp
2023 68.1 −0.3 pp
2022 68.3 +0.8 pp
2021 67.5 −0.4 pp
2020 68 +0.3 pp
2019 67.6 −0.2 pp
2018 67.9 −0.5 pp
2017 68.3 −0.4 pp
2016 68.7 −0.5 pp
2015 69.2 −0.6 pp
2014 69.8 −0.4 pp
2013 70.2 −0.3 pp
2012 70.5 −0.8 pp
2011 71.2 −0.7 pp
2010 72 −0.4 pp
2009 72.4 −0.4 pp
2008 72.7 −0.2 pp
2007 72.9 −0.3 pp
2006 73.2 −0.3 pp
2005 73.6 −0.4 pp
2004 74 −0.3 pp
2003 74.3 −0.2 pp
2002 74.5 −0.2 pp
2001 74.7 −0.2 pp
2000 75 −0.2 pp
1999 75.1 −0.1 pp
1998 75.2 −0.2 pp
1997 75.4 −0.3 pp
1996 75.7 −0.2 pp
1995 75.9 −0.1 pp
1994 75.9 −0.1 pp
1993 76.1 −0.1 pp
1992 76.2 −0.1 pp
1991 76.3

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.