Self-employed — all countries

Self-employed — Southern Asia

Self-employed in Southern Asia in 2025 — 70.5%. Since 1991, the indicator has fallen by 11.1 pp.

2025 70.5% −0.4 pp vs 2024
World rank
Period maximum 81.6%1991
Period minimum 70.5%2025

Trend over time

1991–2025 · % of employment

Self-employed — Southern Asia, 1991–20257075808519911995199920032007201120152019202320251991: 81.6%1992: 81.5%1993: 81.3%1994: 81.1%1995: 80.9%1996: 80.7%1997: 80.2%1998: 80.1%1999: 79.9%2000: 79.6%2001: 79.5%2002: 79%2003: 78.9%2004: 78.9%2005: 78.4%2006: 78.2%2007: 78%2008: 77.9%2009: 77.6%2010: 77.3%2011: 76.4%2012: 75.4%2013: 75.1%2014: 74.7%2015: 74.2%2016: 73.7%2017: 73%2018: 72.5%2019: 72.3%2020: 72.3%2021: 71.7%2022: 71.9%2023: 71.4%2024: 70.9%2025: 70.5%
Change over the period: −11.1 pp Annual average: -0.33 pp

Comparison, 2025

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

Southern Asia 70.5%
World 46.4%
Self-employed — Southern Asia, by year Southern Asia All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2025 70.5 −0.4 pp
2024 70.9 −0.5 pp
2023 71.4 −0.4 pp
2022 71.9 +0.2 pp
2021 71.7 −0.6 pp
2020 72.3 −0 pp
2019 72.3 −0.2 pp
2018 72.5 −0.6 pp
2017 73 −0.6 pp
2016 73.7 −0.6 pp
2015 74.2 −0.4 pp
2014 74.7 −0.4 pp
2013 75.1 −0.3 pp
2012 75.4 −1 pp
2011 76.4 −1 pp
2010 77.3 −0.3 pp
2009 77.6 −0.3 pp
2008 77.9 −0.1 pp
2007 78 −0.3 pp
2006 78.2 −0.2 pp
2005 78.4 −0.5 pp
2004 78.9 −0 pp
2003 78.9 −0.1 pp
2002 79 −0.4 pp
2001 79.5 −0.1 pp
2000 79.6 −0.2 pp
1999 79.9 −0.3 pp
1998 80.1 −0.1 pp
1997 80.2 −0.4 pp
1996 80.7 −0.3 pp
1995 80.9 −0.2 pp
1994 81.1 −0.2 pp
1993 81.3 −0.2 pp
1992 81.5 −0.2 pp
1991 81.6

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.