Self-employed — all countries

Self-employed — Netherlands

Self-employed in the Netherlands in 2025 — 16.8%. Ranked 133 in the world out of 182. Since 1991, the indicator has risen by 6.5 pp.

2025 16.8% −0 pp vs 2024
World rank 133of 182
Period maximum 16.8%2024
Period minimum 10.2%1992

Trend over time

1991–2025 · % of employment

Self-employed — Netherlands, 1991–2025101214161819911995199920032007201120152019202320251991: 10.3%1992: 10.2%1993: 10.6%1994: 11.2%1995: 11.5%1996: 11.1%1997: 11.2%1998: 10.5%1999: 10.3%2000: 10.3%2001: 10.4%2002: 10.5%2003: 10.2%2004: 10.9%2005: 12.5%2006: 12.9%2007: 13%2008: 13.3%2009: 13.7%2010: 13.4%2011: 13.6%2012: 13.7%2013: 14.6%2014: 14.9%2015: 15%2016: 14.9%2017: 14.8%2018: 14.8%2019: 14.6%2020: 15.9%2021: 15.8%2022: 16.7%2023: 16.8%2024: 16.8%2025: 16.8%
Change over the period: +6.5 pp Annual average: 0.19 pp

Comparison, 2025

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

Netherlands 16.8%
World 46.4%
Western Europe computed 11.6%
High-income countries computed 11%
Self-employed — Netherlands, by year Netherlands All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2025 16.8 −0 pp
2024 16.8 +0 pp
2023 16.8 +0.1 pp
2022 16.7 +0.8 pp
2021 15.8 −0.1 pp
2020 15.9 +1.3 pp
2019 14.6 −0.2 pp
2018 14.8 +0 pp
2017 14.8 −0.2 pp
2016 14.9 −0.1 pp
2015 15 +0.1 pp
2014 14.9 +0.2 pp
2013 14.6 +0.9 pp
2012 13.7 +0.2 pp
2011 13.6 +0.2 pp
2010 13.4 −0.4 pp
2009 13.7 +0.5 pp
2008 13.3 +0.2 pp
2007 13 +0.2 pp
2006 12.9 +0.4 pp
2005 12.5 +1.6 pp
2004 10.9 +0.7 pp
2003 10.2 −0.3 pp
2002 10.5 +0.1 pp
2001 10.4 +0.1 pp
2000 10.3 −0.1 pp
1999 10.3 −0.2 pp
1998 10.5 −0.7 pp
1997 11.2 +0.1 pp
1996 11.1 −0.4 pp
1995 11.5 +0.3 pp
1994 11.2 +0.6 pp
1993 10.6 +0.4 pp
1992 10.2 −0.1 pp
1991 10.3

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.