Employers, total (% of total employment) in Portugal
Portugal: Employers, total (% of total employment) was 4.8% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Employers, total (% of total employment) in Portugal, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
The most recent figure for employers, total (% of total employment) in Portugal is 4.8%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.6% on the previous year and down 1.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employers, total (% of total employment) in Portugal peaked at 7.3% in 1998 and was at its lowest, 4.5%, in 2018.
That places Portugal 45th out of 187 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Employers, total (% of total employment) in Portugal, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 6.2% | — |
| 1992 | 6.1% | -2.3% |
| 1993 | 6.2% | +1.3% |
| 1994 | 6.5% | +6.0% |
| 1995 | 6.7% | +3.0% |
| 1996 | 7.1% | +5.3% |
| 1997 | 7.2% | +1.6% |
| 1998 | 7.3% | +1.5% |
| 1999 | 7.0% | -3.4% |
| 2000 | 6.9% | -1.7% |
| 2001 | 7.2% | +3.6% |
| 2002 | 7.2% | +1.0% |
| 2003 | 7.2% | +0.1% |
| 2004 | 6.9% | -4.4% |
| 2005 | 6.8% | -1.6% |
| 2006 | 6.6% | -3.8% |
| 2007 | 6.7% | +1.6% |
| 2008 | 6.6% | -1.2% |
| 2009 | 6.5% | -1.4% |
| 2010 | 6.2% | -4.5% |
| 2011 | 5.8% | -5.9% |
| 2012 | 5.9% | +1.9% |
| 2013 | 5.8% | -1.8% |
| 2014 | 5.2% | -10.7% |
| 2015 | 4.9% | -6.9% |
| 2016 | 4.6% | -4.2% |
| 2017 | 4.5% | -2.4% |
| 2018 | 4.5% | -0.6% |
| 2019 | 4.7% | +3.8% |
| 2020 | 4.6% | -1.8% |
| 2021 | 4.7% | +2.1% |
| 2022 | 4.7% | -0.0% |
| 2023 | 4.7% | -0.4% |
| 2024 | 4.7% | +1.7% |
| 2025 | 4.8% | +0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 6.7% | 6.1% | 7.3% | 9 |
| 2000s | 6.9% | 6.5% | 7.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.2% | 4.5% | 6.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.7% | 4.6% | 4.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Portugal
More work & labour data for Portugal
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.0538 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.055 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.0528 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -2.28 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate -0.1795 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 7,134 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 1,861 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 4,504 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 4,250 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 8,754 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employers, total (% of total employment) in Portugal?
- Employers, total (% of total employment) in Portugal was 4.8% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest employers, total (% of total employment) recorded in Portugal?
- The highest recorded value was 7.3% in 1998.
- What is the lowest employers, total (% of total employment) recorded in Portugal?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.5% in 2018.
- How does Portugal rank for employers, total (% of total employment)?
- Portugal ranks 45th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employers, total (% of total employment) rising or falling in Portugal?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Portugal data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Employers, total (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Employers are those workers who, working on their own account or with one or a few partners, 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), and, in this capacity, have engaged, on a continuous basis, one or more persons to work for them as employee(s).