Own-account workers, total in Republic of Korea

Republic of Korea: Own-account workers, total was 20.0% in 2016. ▼ Falling

Latest (2016)
20.0%
Change on year
down 1.2%
World rank
110th
of 186 countries
All-time high
27.2%
in 1998
All-time low
20.0%
in 2016
Years of data
26
1991–2016

Own-account workers, total in Republic of Korea, 1991–2016

01020301991200320161991: 25.9 % of total employment1992: 26.4 % of total employment1993: 26.5 % of total employment1994: 26.2 % of total employment1995: 26.3 % of total employment1996: 26.4 % of total employment1997: 26.8 % of total employment1998: 27.2 % of total employment1999: 27.2 % of total employment2000: 26.7 % of total employment2001: 27.1 % of total employment2002: 26.9 % of total employment2003: 26.3 % of total employment2004: 26 % of total employment2005: 25.9 % of total employment2006: 25.4 % of total employment2007: 24.7 % of total employment2008: 24.2 % of total employment2009: 23.2 % of total employment2010: 22.3 % of total employment2011: 21.9 % of total employment2012: 22 % of total employment2013: 21.3 % of total employment2014: 20.9 % of total employment2015: 20.3 % of total employment2016: 20 % of total employment

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

Analysis

Republic of Korea recorded 20.0% for own-account workers, total in 2016. That is the lowest value across all 26 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.2% on the previous year and down 21.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, own-account workers, total in Republic of Korea peaked at 27.2% in 1998 and was at its lowest, 20.0%, in 2016.

Republic of Korea ranks 110th of 186 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

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

Own-account workers, total in Republic of Korea, year by year

Annual values for Own-account workers, total (% of total employment) in Republic of Korea, 1991 to 2016.
Year % of total employment Change
1991 25.9%
1992 26.4% +2.0%
1993 26.5% +0.4%
1994 26.2% -1.1%
1995 26.3% +0.4%
1996 26.4% +0.4%
1997 26.8% +1.5%
1998 27.2% +1.5%
1999 27.2% -0.3%
2000 26.7% -1.6%
2001 27.1% +1.3%
2002 26.9% -0.5%
2003 26.3% -2.4%
2004 26.0% -1.2%
2005 25.9% -0.3%
2006 25.4% -1.9%
2007 24.7% -2.7%
2008 24.2% -1.9%
2009 23.2% -4.2%
2010 22.3% -3.9%
2011 21.9% -1.9%
2012 22.0% +0.4%
2013 21.3% -2.8%
2014 20.9% -2.1%
2015 20.3% -3.0%
2016 20.0% -1.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 26.6% 25.9% 27.2% 9
2000s 25.6% 23.2% 27.1% 10
2010s 21.2% 20.0% 22.3% 7

Countries ranked near Republic of Korea

  1. 107 North Macedonia 20.6% compare
  2. 108 Chile 20.4% compare
  3. 109 Argentina 20.3% compare
  4. 111 Serbia 20.0% compare
  5. 112 Uzbekistan 19.5% compare
  6. 113 Kenya 19.3% compare

See the full ranking of 213 places →

More work & labour data for Republic of Korea

All data for Republic of Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is own-account workers, total in Republic of Korea?
Own-account workers, total in Republic of Korea was 20.0% in 2016, according to the World Bank.
What is the highest own-account workers, total recorded in Republic of Korea?
The highest recorded value was 27.2% in 1998.
What is the lowest own-account workers, total recorded in Republic of Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 20.0% in 2016.
How does Republic of Korea rank for own-account workers, total?
Republic of Korea ranks 110th out of 186 countries with data for 2016.
Is own-account workers, total rising or falling in Republic of Korea?
Over the last ten years it is down 21.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Republic of Korea 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 Republic of Korea. Statizoid. Retrieved 02 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/own-account-workers-total-percent-of-total-employment/korea-rep/

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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