Own-account workers, total in France

France: Own-account workers, total was 7.2% in 2016. ▼ Falling

Latest (2016)
7.2%
Change on year
up 3.3%
World rank
165th
of 186 countries
All-time high
7.9%
in 1991
All-time low
5.4%
in 2008
Years of data
26
1991–2016

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

024681991200320161991: 7.9 % of total employment1992: 7.7 % of total employment1993: 7 % of total employment1994: 7.1 % of total employment1995: 7 % of total employment1996: 6.7 % of total employment1997: 6.6 % of total employment1998: 6.3 % of total employment1999: 6.1 % of total employment2000: 5.9 % of total employment2001: 5.6 % of total employment2002: 5.6 % of total employment2003: 6 % of total employment2004: 5.6 % of total employment2005: 5.6 % of total employment2006: 6 % of total employment2007: 5.9 % of total employment2008: 5.4 % of total employment2009: 5.9 % of total employment2010: 6.5 % of total employment2011: 6.7 % of total employment2012: 6.7 % of total employment2013: 6.6 % of total employment2014: 7 % of total employment2015: 7 % of total employment2016: 7.2 % of total employment

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

Analysis

France recorded 7.2% for own-account workers, total in 2016.

That represents a change of up 3.3% on the previous year and up 19.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, own-account workers, total in France peaked at 7.9% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 5.4%, in 2008.

France ranks 165th 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 France, year by year

Annual values for Own-account workers, total (% of total employment) in France, 1991 to 2016.
Year % of total employment Change
1991 7.9%
1992 7.7% -2.7%
1993 7.0% -8.4%
1994 7.1% +1.2%
1995 7.0% -2.2%
1996 6.7% -3.3%
1997 6.6% -2.1%
1998 6.3% -4.7%
1999 6.1% -2.3%
2000 5.9% -4.5%
2001 5.6% -3.9%
2002 5.6% -0.3%
2003 6.0% +6.1%
2004 5.6% -6.5%
2005 5.6% +0.6%
2006 6.0% +7.1%
2007 5.9% -1.0%
2008 5.4% -9.9%
2009 5.9% +9.9%
2010 6.5% +10.8%
2011 6.7% +2.8%
2012 6.7% -0.5%
2013 6.6% -1.5%
2014 7.0% +5.9%
2015 7.0% +0.2%
2016 7.2% +3.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 6.9% 6.1% 7.9% 9
2000s 5.7% 5.4% 6.0% 10
2010s 6.8% 6.5% 7.2% 7

Countries ranked near France

  1. 162 Latvia 7.8% compare
  2. 163 Bulgaria 7.6% compare
  3. 164 Croatia 7.3% compare
  4. 166 Switzerland 7.1% compare
  5. 167 Austria 6.7% compare
  6. 168 Japan 6.2% compare

See the full ranking of 213 places →

More work & labour data for France

All data for France →

Frequently asked questions

What is own-account workers, total in France?
Own-account workers, total in France was 7.2% in 2016, according to the World Bank.
What is the highest own-account workers, total recorded in France?
The highest recorded value was 7.9% in 1991.
What is the lowest own-account workers, total recorded in France?
The lowest recorded value was 5.4% in 2008.
How does France rank for own-account workers, total?
France ranks 165th out of 186 countries with data for 2016.
Is own-account workers, total rising or falling in France?
Over the last ten years it is up 19.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this France 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 France. Statizoid. Retrieved 02 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/own-account-workers-total-percent-of-total-employment/france/

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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