Self-employed — all countries

Self-employed — Nigeria

Self-employed in Nigeria in 2025 — 86.2%. Ranked 5 in the world out of 182. Since 1991, the indicator has fallen by 9.4 pp.

2025 86.2% −0.3 pp vs 2024
World rank 5of 182
Period maximum 95.6%1991
Period minimum 86.2%2025

Trend over time

1991–2025 · % of employment

Self-employed — Nigeria, 1991–20258587.59092.59597.519911995199920032007201120152019202320251991: 95.6%1992: 95.3%1993: 95.1%1994: 95%1995: 94.8%1996: 94.7%1997: 94.5%1998: 94.4%1999: 94.2%2000: 93.9%2001: 93.6%2002: 93.2%2003: 92.7%2004: 92.1%2005: 91.6%2006: 91.1%2007: 90.7%2008: 90.2%2009: 89.8%2010: 89.3%2011: 88.8%2012: 88.5%2013: 88.1%2014: 87.8%2015: 87.5%2016: 87.3%2017: 87%2018: 86.8%2019: 86.6%2020: 87.6%2021: 87.1%2022: 86.9%2023: 86.7%2024: 86.4%2025: 86.2%
Change over the period: −9.4 pp Annual average: -0.28 pp

Comparison, 2025

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

Nigeria 86.2%
World 46.4%
Western Africa computed 82%
Self-employed — Nigeria, by year Nigeria All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2025 86.2 −0.3 pp
2024 86.4 −0.3 pp
2023 86.7 −0.3 pp
2022 86.9 −0.2 pp
2021 87.1 −0.5 pp
2020 87.6 +1 pp
2019 86.6 −0.2 pp
2018 86.8 −0.2 pp
2017 87 −0.2 pp
2016 87.3 −0.2 pp
2015 87.5 −0.3 pp
2014 87.8 −0.4 pp
2013 88.1 −0.4 pp
2012 88.5 −0.4 pp
2011 88.8 −0.4 pp
2010 89.3 −0.5 pp
2009 89.8 −0.4 pp
2008 90.2 −0.5 pp
2007 90.7 −0.5 pp
2006 91.1 −0.5 pp
2005 91.6 −0.5 pp
2004 92.1 −0.6 pp
2003 92.7 −0.5 pp
2002 93.2 −0.4 pp
2001 93.6 −0.3 pp
2000 93.9 −0.3 pp
1999 94.2 −0.2 pp
1998 94.4 −0.1 pp
1997 94.5 −0.2 pp
1996 94.7 −0.2 pp
1995 94.8 −0.2 pp
1994 95 −0.1 pp
1993 95.1 −0.2 pp
1992 95.3 −0.3 pp
1991 95.6

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.