Own-account workers, total in Iceland

Iceland: Own-account workers, total was 7.9% in 2016. ▼ Falling

Latest (2016)
7.9%
Change on year
down 9.9%
World rank
161st
of 186 countries
All-time high
11.9%
in 1998
All-time low
7.7%
in 2009
Years of data
26
1991–2016

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

02.557.51012.51991200320161991: 11.6 % of total employment1992: 11.4 % of total employment1993: 11.1 % of total employment1994: 10.9 % of total employment1995: 11.2 % of total employment1996: 9.8 % of total employment1997: 10.9 % of total employment1998: 11.9 % of total employment1999: 11.4 % of total employment2000: 10.2 % of total employment2001: 10.4 % of total employment2002: 10.9 % of total employment2003: 9 % of total employment2004: 8.6 % of total employment2005: 8.8 % of total employment2006: 9.4 % of total employment2007: 8.7 % of total employment2008: 7.9 % of total employment2009: 7.7 % of total employment2010: 8.4 % of total employment2011: 8.3 % of total employment2012: 8.2 % of total employment2013: 8.3 % of total employment2014: 8.7 % of total employment2015: 8.8 % of total employment2016: 7.9 % of total employment

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for own-account workers, total in Iceland is 7.9%, measured in 2016.

The figure is down 9.9% on the previous year and down 15.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, own-account workers, total in Iceland peaked at 11.9% in 1998 and was at its lowest, 7.7%, in 2009.

That places Iceland 161st 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 Iceland, year by year

Annual values for Own-account workers, total (% of total employment) in Iceland, 1991 to 2016.
Year % of total employment Change
1991 11.6%
1992 11.4% -1.6%
1993 11.1% -2.6%
1994 10.9% -2.3%
1995 11.2% +3.1%
1996 9.8% -12.1%
1997 10.9% +10.6%
1998 11.9% +8.9%
1999 11.4% -3.9%
2000 10.2% -10.4%
2001 10.4% +2.4%
2002 10.9% +3.9%
2003 9.0% -17.2%
2004 8.6% -4.3%
2005 8.8% +2.8%
2006 9.4% +6.0%
2007 8.7% -7.5%
2008 7.9% -9.2%
2009 7.7% -2.0%
2010 8.4% +9.2%
2011 8.3% -1.5%
2012 8.2% -1.3%
2013 8.3% +2.0%
2014 8.7% +4.6%
2015 8.8% +0.4%
2016 7.9% -9.9%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 11.1% 9.8% 11.9% 9
2000s 9.2% 7.7% 10.9% 10
2010s 8.4% 7.9% 8.8% 7

Countries ranked near Iceland

  1. 158 Oman 8.4% compare
  2. 159 Slovenia 8.2% compare
  3. 160 Singapore 7.9% compare
  4. 162 Latvia 7.8% compare
  5. 163 Bulgaria 7.6% compare
  6. 164 Croatia 7.3% compare

See the full ranking of 213 places →

More work & labour data for Iceland

All data for Iceland →

Frequently asked questions

What is own-account workers, total in Iceland?
Own-account workers, total in Iceland was 7.9% in 2016, according to the World Bank.
What is the highest own-account workers, total recorded in Iceland?
The highest recorded value was 11.9% in 1998.
What is the lowest own-account workers, total recorded in Iceland?
The lowest recorded value was 7.7% in 2009.
How does Iceland rank for own-account workers, total?
Iceland ranks 161st out of 186 countries with data for 2016.
Is own-account workers, total rising or falling in Iceland?
Over the last ten years it is down 15.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Iceland 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 Iceland. Statizoid. Retrieved 02 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/own-account-workers-total-percent-of-total-employment/iceland/

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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