Own-account workers, total in Australia

Australia: Own-account workers, total was 10.7% in 2016. ▼ Falling

Latest (2016)
10.7%
Change on year
up 0.2%
World rank
146th
of 186 countries
All-time high
12.3%
in 2002
All-time low
10.3%
in 2013
Years of data
26
1991–2016

Own-account workers, total in Australia, 1991–2016

02.557.51012.51991200320161991: 11.6 % of total employment1992: 11.8 % of total employment1993: 12 % of total employment1994: 11.7 % of total employment1995: 11.5 % of total employment1996: 11.6 % of total employment1997: 11.8 % of total employment1998: 11.6 % of total employment1999: 11.4 % of total employment2000: 11.6 % of total employment2001: 11.9 % of total employment2002: 12.3 % of total employment2003: 12 % of total employment2004: 11.9 % of total employment2005: 11.9 % of total employment2006: 11.5 % of total employment2007: 11.2 % of total employment2008: 11.1 % of total employment2009: 11.2 % of total employment2010: 11.3 % of total employment2011: 11.1 % of total employment2012: 10.6 % of total employment2013: 10.3 % of total employment2014: 10.6 % of total employment2015: 10.6 % of total employment2016: 10.7 % of total employment

Source: World Bank. Measured in % of total employment.

Analysis

In 2016, own-account workers, total in Australia stood at 10.7%.

The figure is up 0.2% on the previous year and down 7.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, own-account workers, total in Australia peaked at 12.3% in 2002 and was at its lowest, 10.3%, in 2013.

Australia ranks 146th of 186 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 26 years of available data.

Own-account workers, total in Australia, year by year

Annual values for Own-account workers, total (% of total employment) in Australia, 1991 to 2016.
Year % of total employment Change
1991 11.6%
1992 11.8% +2.6%
1993 12.0% +1.5%
1994 11.7% -2.5%
1995 11.5% -1.6%
1996 11.6% +0.7%
1997 11.8% +1.3%
1998 11.6% -1.8%
1999 11.4% -1.1%
2000 11.6% +1.5%
2001 11.9% +2.2%
2002 12.3% +3.5%
2003 12.0% -2.2%
2004 11.9% -1.3%
2005 11.9% +0.3%
2006 11.5% -3.4%
2007 11.2% -2.0%
2008 11.1% -1.2%
2009 11.2% +1.1%
2010 11.3% +0.5%
2011 11.1% -1.9%
2012 10.6% -4.1%
2013 10.3% -2.8%
2014 10.6% +3.0%
2015 10.6% +0.2%
2016 10.7% +0.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 11.7% 11.4% 12.0% 9
2000s 11.7% 11.1% 12.3% 10
2010s 10.7% 10.3% 11.3% 7

Countries ranked near Australia

  1. 143 Cyprus 11.3% compare
  2. 144 New Zealand 11.3% compare
  3. 145 Suriname 11.3% compare
  4. 147 Canada 10.6% compare
  5. 148 Cuba 10.2% compare
  6. 149 Belgium 9.9% compare

See the full ranking of 213 places →

More work & labour data for Australia

All data for Australia →

Frequently asked questions

What is own-account workers, total in Australia?
Own-account workers, total in Australia was 10.7% in 2016, according to the World Bank.
What is the highest own-account workers, total recorded in Australia?
The highest recorded value was 12.3% in 2002.
What is the lowest own-account workers, total recorded in Australia?
The lowest recorded value was 10.3% in 2013.
How does Australia rank for own-account workers, total?
Australia ranks 146th out of 186 countries with data for 2016.
Is own-account workers, total rising or falling in Australia?
Over the last ten years it is down 7.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Australia data come from?
The figures come from the World Bank, published as part of Own-account workers, total (% of total employment). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Own-account workers, total in Australia. Statizoid. Retrieved 02 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/own-account-workers-total-percent-of-total-employment/australia/

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About this data

Indicator
Own-account workers, total (% of total employment)
Unit
% of total employment
Source
World Bank
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
213 places, 5,537 data points, 1991–2016
Last refreshed