Self-employed — all countries

Self-employed — Northern Europe

Self-employed in Northern Europe in 2025 — 12%. Since 1991, the indicator has fallen by 1.5 pp.

2025 12% −0.1 pp vs 2024
World rank
Period maximum 13.8%1995
Period minimum 12%2025

Trend over time

1991–2025 · % of employment

Self-employed — Northern Europe, 1991–20251212.51313.51419911995199920032007201120152019202320251991: 13.5%1992: 13.5%1993: 13.6%1994: 13.8%1995: 13.8%1996: 13.5%1997: 13.4%1998: 13%1999: 12.9%2000: 12.5%2001: 12.4%2002: 12.4%2003: 12.8%2004: 12.8%2005: 12.6%2006: 12.8%2007: 12.7%2008: 12.6%2009: 12.9%2010: 13.1%2011: 13.1%2012: 13.4%2013: 13.3%2014: 13.8%2015: 13.7%2016: 13.8%2017: 13.7%2018: 13.4%2019: 13.4%2020: 13.1%2021: 12.5%2022: 12.3%2023: 12.3%2024: 12.1%2025: 12%
Change over the period: −1.5 pp Annual average: -0.04 pp

Comparison, 2025

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

Northern Europe 12%
World 46.4%
Self-employed — Northern Europe, by year Northern Europe All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2025 12 −0.1 pp
2024 12.1 −0.2 pp
2023 12.3 +0 pp
2022 12.3 −0.2 pp
2021 12.5 −0.6 pp
2020 13.1 −0.3 pp
2019 13.4 −0.1 pp
2018 13.4 −0.2 pp
2017 13.7 −0.1 pp
2016 13.8 +0.1 pp
2015 13.7 −0.1 pp
2014 13.8 +0.5 pp
2013 13.3 −0.1 pp
2012 13.4 +0.3 pp
2011 13.1 −0 pp
2010 13.1 +0.2 pp
2009 12.9 +0.3 pp
2008 12.6 −0.1 pp
2007 12.7 −0 pp
2006 12.8 +0.2 pp
2005 12.6 −0.2 pp
2004 12.8 −0 pp
2003 12.8 +0.4 pp
2002 12.4 +0 pp
2001 12.4 −0.1 pp
2000 12.5 −0.4 pp
1999 12.9 −0.1 pp
1998 13 −0.4 pp
1997 13.4 −0.1 pp
1996 13.5 −0.3 pp
1995 13.8 +0 pp
1994 13.8 +0.2 pp
1993 13.6 +0.1 pp
1992 13.5 +0 pp
1991 13.5

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.