Own-account workers, total in Belgium

Belgium: Own-account workers, total was 9.9% in 2016. ▼ Falling

Latest (2016)
9.9%
Change on year
down 1.0%
World rank
149th
of 186 countries
All-time high
13.7%
in 1994
All-time low
8.5%
in 2004
Years of data
26
1991–2016

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

0510151991200320161991: 13.6 % of total employment1992: 13.5 % of total employment1993: 13.3 % of total employment1994: 13.7 % of total employment1995: 13.5 % of total employment1996: 13.6 % of total employment1997: 13.5 % of total employment1998: 13.6 % of total employment1999: 10.4 % of total employment2000: 9.4 % of total employment2001: 8.8 % of total employment2002: 9.6 % of total employment2003: 9.3 % of total employment2004: 8.5 % of total employment2005: 8.9 % of total employment2006: 8.9 % of total employment2007: 9 % of total employment2008: 8.8 % of total employment2009: 9.1 % of total employment2010: 8.9 % of total employment2011: 9.1 % of total employment2012: 9.4 % of total employment2013: 9.9 % of total employment2014: 9.6 % of total employment2015: 10 % of total employment2016: 9.9 % of total employment

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

Analysis

In 2016, own-account workers, total in Belgium stood at 9.9%.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.0% on the previous year and up 11.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, own-account workers, total in Belgium peaked at 13.7% in 1994 and was at its lowest, 8.5%, in 2004.

That places Belgium 149th out of 186 countries with data for 2016, putting it in the bottom quarter.

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

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

Annual values for Own-account workers, total (% of total employment) in Belgium, 1991 to 2016.
Year % of total employment Change
1991 13.6%
1992 13.5% -0.4%
1993 13.3% -1.3%
1994 13.7% +3.1%
1995 13.5% -1.7%
1996 13.6% +0.6%
1997 13.5% -0.9%
1998 13.6% +0.9%
1999 10.4% -23.7%
2000 9.4% -8.9%
2001 8.8% -7.2%
2002 9.6% +9.2%
2003 9.3% -2.3%
2004 8.5% -9.4%
2005 8.9% +5.0%
2006 8.9% -0.1%
2007 9.0% +1.8%
2008 8.8% -2.4%
2009 9.1% +3.0%
2010 8.9% -1.8%
2011 9.1% +1.6%
2012 9.4% +3.8%
2013 9.9% +4.9%
2014 9.6% -2.8%
2015 10.0% +4.1%
2016 9.9% -1.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 13.2% 10.4% 13.7% 9
2000s 9.0% 8.5% 9.6% 10
2010s 9.5% 8.9% 10.0% 7

Countries ranked near Belgium

  1. 146 Australia 10.7% compare
  2. 147 Canada 10.6% compare
  3. 148 Cuba 10.2% compare
  4. 150 Finland 9.5% compare
  5. 151 Montenegro 9.3% compare
  6. 152 Jordan 9.2% compare

See the full ranking of 213 places →

More work & labour data for Belgium

All data for Belgium →

Frequently asked questions

What is own-account workers, total in Belgium?
Own-account workers, total in Belgium was 9.9% in 2016, according to the World Bank.
What is the highest own-account workers, total recorded in Belgium?
The highest recorded value was 13.7% in 1994.
What is the lowest own-account workers, total recorded in Belgium?
The lowest recorded value was 8.5% in 2004.
How does Belgium rank for own-account workers, total?
Belgium ranks 149th out of 186 countries with data for 2016.
Is own-account workers, total rising or falling in Belgium?
Over the last ten years it is up 11.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Belgium 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 Belgium. Statizoid. Retrieved 03 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/own-account-workers-total-percent-of-total-employment/belgium/

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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