Self-employed — all countries

Self-employed — OPEC

Self-employed in OPEC in 2025 — 59.5%. Since 1991, the indicator has fallen by 8.5 pp.

2025 59.5% −0.2 pp vs 2024
World rank
Period maximum 68.1%1991
Period minimum 58.2%2016

Trend over time

1991–2025 · % of employment

Self-employed — OPEC, 1991–202557.56062.56567.57019911995199920032007201120152019202320251991: 68.1%1992: 67.8%1993: 67.8%1994: 67.9%1995: 67.7%1996: 67.6%1997: 67.1%1998: 67.2%1999: 67%2000: 66.7%2001: 66.2%2002: 65.6%2003: 65%2004: 64.1%2005: 63.5%2006: 62.9%2007: 62.2%2008: 61.6%2009: 61.1%2010: 60.6%2011: 60.1%2012: 59.4%2013: 59%2014: 58.7%2015: 58.4%2016: 58.2%2017: 58.6%2018: 59%2019: 59.5%2020: 60.2%2021: 60.3%2022: 60%2023: 59.8%2024: 59.7%2025: 59.5%
Change over the period: −8.5 pp Annual average: -0.25 pp

Comparison, 2025

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

OPEC 59.5%
World 46.4%
Self-employed — OPEC, by year OPEC All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2025 59.5 −0.2 pp
2024 59.7 −0.1 pp
2023 59.8 −0.2 pp
2022 60 −0.3 pp
2021 60.3 +0.1 pp
2020 60.2 +0.7 pp
2019 59.5 +0.5 pp
2018 59 +0.4 pp
2017 58.6 +0.4 pp
2016 58.2 −0.1 pp
2015 58.4 −0.3 pp
2014 58.7 −0.2 pp
2013 59 −0.5 pp
2012 59.4 −0.6 pp
2011 60.1 −0.6 pp
2010 60.6 −0.5 pp
2009 61.1 −0.5 pp
2008 61.6 −0.6 pp
2007 62.2 −0.6 pp
2006 62.9 −0.7 pp
2005 63.5 −0.6 pp
2004 64.1 −0.9 pp
2003 65 −0.6 pp
2002 65.6 −0.6 pp
2001 66.2 −0.5 pp
2000 66.7 −0.4 pp
1999 67 −0.2 pp
1998 67.2 +0.1 pp
1997 67.1 −0.5 pp
1996 67.6 −0.1 pp
1995 67.7 −0.2 pp
1994 67.9 +0.1 pp
1993 67.8 −0 pp
1992 67.8 −0.2 pp
1991 68.1

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.