Own-account workers, total in Ghana

Ghana: Own-account workers, total was 42.9% in 2016. ▼ Falling

Latest (2016)
42.9%
Change on year
down 3.4%
World rank
37th
of 186 countries
All-time high
72.0%
in 1991
All-time low
42.9%
in 2016
Years of data
26
1991–2016

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

0204060801991200320161991: 72 % of total employment1992: 71.4 % of total employment1993: 65.3 % of total employment1994: 66 % of total employment1995: 67 % of total employment1996: 68 % of total employment1997: 64.3 % of total employment1998: 64.7 % of total employment1999: 67 % of total employment2000: 66.7 % of total employment2001: 66.8 % of total employment2002: 66.8 % of total employment2003: 67.8 % of total employment2004: 69.1 % of total employment2005: 68.5 % of total employment2006: 63 % of total employment2007: 61.7 % of total employment2008: 63.9 % of total employment2009: 64.8 % of total employment2010: 63.3 % of total employment2011: 50.6 % of total employment2012: 46.8 % of total employment2013: 46.2 % of total employment2014: 45.7 % of total employment2015: 44.4 % of total employment2016: 42.9 % of total employment

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

Analysis

In 2016, own-account workers, total in Ghana stood at 42.9%. That is the lowest value across all 26 years on record.

The figure is down 3.4% on the previous year and down 31.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, own-account workers, total in Ghana peaked at 72.0% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 42.9%, in 2016.

That places Ghana 37th out of 186 countries with data for 2016, putting it in the top quarter.

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

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

Annual values for Own-account workers, total (% of total employment) in Ghana, 1991 to 2016.
Year % of total employment Change
1991 72.0%
1992 71.4% -0.8%
1993 65.3% -8.5%
1994 66.0% +0.9%
1995 67.0% +1.5%
1996 68.0% +1.5%
1997 64.3% -5.4%
1998 64.7% +0.5%
1999 67.0% +3.6%
2000 66.7% -0.6%
2001 66.8% +0.2%
2002 66.8% -0.0%
2003 67.8% +1.6%
2004 69.1% +1.8%
2005 68.5% -0.8%
2006 63.0% -8.0%
2007 61.7% -2.1%
2008 63.9% +3.5%
2009 64.8% +1.5%
2010 63.3% -2.3%
2011 50.6% -20.1%
2012 46.8% -7.6%
2013 46.2% -1.2%
2014 45.7% -1.2%
2015 44.4% -2.7%
2016 42.9% -3.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 67.3% 64.3% 72.0% 9
2000s 65.9% 61.7% 69.1% 10
2010s 48.6% 42.9% 63.3% 7

Countries ranked near Ghana

  1. 34 Mongolia 44.0% compare
  2. 35 Bangladesh 43.7% compare
  3. 36 Colombia 43.5% compare
  4. 38 Zambia 42.7% compare
  5. 39 Madagascar 42.2% compare
  6. 40 Dominican Republic 40.0% compare

See the full ranking of 213 places →

More work & labour data for Ghana

All data for Ghana →

Frequently asked questions

What is own-account workers, total in Ghana?
Own-account workers, total in Ghana was 42.9% in 2016, according to the World Bank.
What is the highest own-account workers, total recorded in Ghana?
The highest recorded value was 72.0% in 1991.
What is the lowest own-account workers, total recorded in Ghana?
The lowest recorded value was 42.9% in 2016.
How does Ghana rank for own-account workers, total?
Ghana ranks 37th out of 186 countries with data for 2016.
Is own-account workers, total rising or falling in Ghana?
Over the last ten years it is down 31.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Ghana 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.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 26 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Own-account workers, total in Ghana. Statizoid. Retrieved 03 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/own-account-workers-total-percent-of-total-employment/ghana/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/own-account-workers-total-percent-of-total-employment/ghana/">Own-account workers, total in Ghana</a> — Statizoid

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