Own-account workers, total in Canada

Canada: Own-account workers, total was 10.6% in 2016. ▲ Rising

Latest (2016)
10.6%
Change on year
up 0.8%
World rank
147th
of 186 countries
All-time high
11.0%
in 1998
All-time low
7.8%
in 1991
Years of data
26
1991–2016

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

02.557.5101991200320161991: 7.8 % of total employment1992: 8.2 % of total employment1993: 8.7 % of total employment1994: 9 % of total employment1995: 9.1 % of total employment1996: 9.7 % of total employment1997: 10.7 % of total employment1998: 11 % of total employment1999: 10.9 % of total employment2000: 10.3 % of total employment2001: 9.8 % of total employment2002: 9.9 % of total employment2003: 10.1 % of total employment2004: 10 % of total employment2005: 10.1 % of total employment2006: 9.9 % of total employment2007: 10.3 % of total employment2008: 10.3 % of total employment2009: 10.9 % of total employment2010: 10.7 % of total employment2011: 10.5 % of total employment2012: 10.5 % of total employment2013: 10.6 % of total employment2014: 10.6 % of total employment2015: 10.5 % of total employment2016: 10.6 % of total employment

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

Analysis

In 2016, own-account workers, total in Canada stood at 10.6%.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.8% on the previous year and up 6.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, own-account workers, total in Canada peaked at 11.0% in 1998 and was at its lowest, 7.8%, in 1991.

Canada ranks 147th of 186 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

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

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

Annual values for Own-account workers, total (% of total employment) in Canada, 1991 to 2016.
Year % of total employment Change
1991 7.8%
1992 8.2% +5.6%
1993 8.7% +6.0%
1994 9.0% +2.9%
1995 9.1% +1.0%
1996 9.7% +7.5%
1997 10.7% +9.8%
1998 11.0% +3.0%
1999 10.9% -1.0%
2000 10.3% -5.4%
2001 9.8% -5.2%
2002 9.9% +1.0%
2003 10.1% +2.3%
2004 10.0% -0.9%
2005 10.1% +0.9%
2006 9.9% -1.7%
2007 10.3% +3.7%
2008 10.3% +0.4%
2009 10.9% +5.3%
2010 10.7% -1.7%
2011 10.5% -1.9%
2012 10.5% +0.4%
2013 10.6% +0.5%
2014 10.6% -0.3%
2015 10.5% -0.4%
2016 10.6% +0.8%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 9.5% 7.8% 11.0% 9
2000s 10.2% 9.8% 10.9% 10
2010s 10.6% 10.5% 10.7% 7

Countries ranked near Canada

  1. 144 New Zealand 11.3% compare
  2. 145 Suriname 11.3% compare
  3. 146 Australia 10.7% compare
  4. 148 Cuba 10.2% compare
  5. 149 Belgium 9.9% compare
  6. 150 Finland 9.5% compare

See the full ranking of 213 places →

More work & labour data for Canada

All data for Canada →

Frequently asked questions

What is own-account workers, total in Canada?
Own-account workers, total in Canada was 10.6% in 2016, according to the World Bank.
What is the highest own-account workers, total recorded in Canada?
The highest recorded value was 11.0% in 1998.
What is the lowest own-account workers, total recorded in Canada?
The lowest recorded value was 7.8% in 1991.
How does Canada rank for own-account workers, total?
Canada ranks 147th out of 186 countries with data for 2016.
Is own-account workers, total rising or falling in Canada?
Over the last ten years it is up 6.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Canada 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 Canada. Statizoid. Retrieved 01 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/own-account-workers-total-percent-of-total-employment/canada/

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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