Self-employed — all countries

Self-employed — Nepal

Self-employed in Nepal in 2025 — 78.6%. Ranked 18 in the world out of 182. Since 1991, the indicator has fallen by 8.1 pp.

2025 78.6% −0.3 pp vs 2024
World rank 18of 182
Period maximum 86.7%1991
Period minimum 78.6%2025

Trend over time

1991–2025 · % of employment

Self-employed — Nepal, 1991–202577.58082.58587.519911995199920032007201120152019202320251991: 86.7%1992: 86.4%1993: 86.2%1994: 86%1995: 85.8%1996: 85.5%1997: 85.3%1998: 85.1%1999: 84.9%2000: 84.6%2001: 84.4%2002: 84.2%2003: 84.1%2004: 83.9%2005: 83.7%2006: 83.5%2007: 83.3%2008: 83.1%2009: 82.8%2010: 82.5%2011: 82.3%2012: 82%2013: 81.7%2014: 81.4%2015: 81.1%2016: 80.9%2017: 80.6%2018: 80.2%2019: 79.9%2020: 80%2021: 79.6%2022: 79.3%2023: 79.1%2024: 78.8%2025: 78.6%
Change over the period: −8.1 pp Annual average: -0.24 pp

Comparison, 2025

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

Nepal 78.6%
World 46.4%
South Asia 73.1%
Southern Asia computed 70.5%
Self-employed — Nepal, by year Nepal All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2025 78.6 −0.3 pp
2024 78.8 −0.2 pp
2023 79.1 −0.2 pp
2022 79.3 −0.3 pp
2021 79.6 −0.4 pp
2020 80 +0.1 pp
2019 79.9 −0.4 pp
2018 80.2 −0.4 pp
2017 80.6 −0.3 pp
2016 80.9 −0.2 pp
2015 81.1 −0.3 pp
2014 81.4 −0.3 pp
2013 81.7 −0.3 pp
2012 82 −0.3 pp
2011 82.3 −0.3 pp
2010 82.5 −0.3 pp
2009 82.8 −0.3 pp
2008 83.1 −0.2 pp
2007 83.3 −0.2 pp
2006 83.5 −0.2 pp
2005 83.7 −0.2 pp
2004 83.9 −0.2 pp
2003 84.1 −0.2 pp
2002 84.2 −0.2 pp
2001 84.4 −0.3 pp
2000 84.6 −0.3 pp
1999 84.9 −0.2 pp
1998 85.1 −0.2 pp
1997 85.3 −0.2 pp
1996 85.5 −0.2 pp
1995 85.8 −0.2 pp
1994 86 −0.3 pp
1993 86.2 −0.2 pp
1992 86.4 −0.2 pp
1991 86.7

Southern Asia, 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.