South Africa vs Switzerland: Self-employed, total (% of total employment)
Self-employed, total (% of total employment) over time
- South Africa
- Switzerland
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 17.3% against 16.9% in Switzerland, a difference of 0.4%.
The two have swapped places 11 times across 35 shared years of data; in 1991 it was Switzerland ahead.
South Africa ranks 134th and Switzerland ranks 137th of 187 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, South Africa averaged higher in 3 and Switzerland in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Switzerland | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 17.3% | 18.0% | 0.6% | Switzerland |
| 2000s | 16.7% | 16.5% | 0.2% | South Africa |
| 2010s | 15.3% | 15.1% | 0.2% | South Africa |
| 2020s | 16.9% | 16.1% | 0.8% | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher self-employed, total (% of total employment), South Africa or Switzerland?
- South Africa, at 17.3% against 16.9% in Switzerland as of 2025.
- What is the difference in self-employed, total (% of total employment) between South Africa and Switzerland?
- 0.4%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Switzerland?
- 35 years are reported by both, from 1991 to 2025.
- How do South Africa and Switzerland rank globally for self-employed, total (% of total employment)?
- South Africa ranks 134th and Switzerland ranks 137th of 187 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as Self-employed, total (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Self-employed workers are those workers who, working on their own account or with one or a few partners or in cooperative, hold the type of jobs defined as a "self-employment jobs." i.e. jobs where the remuneration is directly dependent upon the profits derived from the goods and services produced. Self-employed workers include sub-categories of employers, own-account workers and members of producers' cooperatives and contributing family workers.