Self-employed — all countries

Self-employed — Upper-middle-income countries

Self-employed in upper-middle-income countries in 2025 — 37.9%. Since 1991, the indicator has fallen by 16 pp.

2025 37.9% −0.3 pp vs 2024
World rank
Period maximum 53.9%1991
Period minimum 37.9%2025

Trend over time

1991–2025 · % of employment

Self-employed — Upper-middle-income countries, 1991–2025354045505519911995199920032007201120152019202320251991: 53.9%1992: 53.5%1993: 53%1994: 52.4%1995: 51.9%1996: 51.2%1997: 50.7%1998: 50.5%1999: 50%2000: 49.6%2001: 48.9%2002: 48.4%2003: 48%2004: 47.2%2005: 46.4%2006: 45.7%2007: 45.1%2008: 44.4%2009: 43.9%2010: 43.3%2011: 42.6%2012: 41.9%2013: 41.4%2014: 40.8%2015: 40.2%2016: 39.9%2017: 39.7%2018: 39.6%2019: 39.2%2020: 39.5%2021: 39.4%2022: 39%2023: 38.6%2024: 38.2%2025: 37.9%
Change over the period: −16 pp Annual average: -0.47 pp

Comparison, 2025

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Upper-middle-income countries

Upper-middle-income countries 37.9%
World 46.4%
Self-employed — Upper-middle-income countries, by year Upper-middle-income countries All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2025 37.9 −0.3 pp
2024 38.2 −0.4 pp
2023 38.6 −0.4 pp
2022 39 −0.4 pp
2021 39.4 −0.1 pp
2020 39.5 +0.3 pp
2019 39.2 −0.3 pp
2018 39.6 −0.1 pp
2017 39.7 −0.2 pp
2016 39.9 −0.3 pp
2015 40.2 −0.5 pp
2014 40.8 −0.6 pp
2013 41.4 −0.5 pp
2012 41.9 −0.7 pp
2011 42.6 −0.7 pp
2010 43.3 −0.7 pp
2009 43.9 −0.5 pp
2008 44.4 −0.7 pp
2007 45.1 −0.6 pp
2006 45.7 −0.7 pp
2005 46.4 −0.8 pp
2004 47.2 −0.8 pp
2003 48 −0.4 pp
2002 48.4 −0.5 pp
2001 48.9 −0.7 pp
2000 49.6 −0.4 pp
1999 50 −0.5 pp
1998 50.5 −0.2 pp
1997 50.7 −0.5 pp
1996 51.2 −0.6 pp
1995 51.9 −0.6 pp
1994 52.4 −0.5 pp
1993 53 −0.6 pp
1992 53.5 −0.4 pp
1991 53.9

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.