Own-account workers, total in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)

Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income): Own-account workers, total was 28.6% in 2016. ▼ Falling

Latest (2016)
28.6%
Change on year
up 1.8%
Rank
11th
of 25 groups
All-time high
30.8%
in 1992
All-time low
26.7%
in 2007
Years of data
26
1991–2016

Own-account workers, total in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income), 1991–2016

01020301991200320161991: 29.1 % of total employment1992: 30.8 % of total employment1993: 29.8 % of total employment1994: 30.7 % of total employment1995: 29.7 % of total employment1996: 29.4 % of total employment1997: 28.2 % of total employment1998: 28 % of total employment1999: 28 % of total employment2000: 28 % of total employment2001: 29 % of total employment2002: 29.2 % of total employment2003: 29.4 % of total employment2004: 29 % of total employment2005: 27.3 % of total employment2006: 26.7 % of total employment2007: 26.7 % of total employment2008: 26.8 % of total employment2009: 27 % of total employment2010: 27.3 % of total employment2011: 27.4 % of total employment2012: 27.7 % of total employment2013: 27.8 % of total employment2014: 27.6 % of total employment2015: 28.1 % of total employment2016: 28.6 % of total employment

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for own-account workers, total in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) is 28.6%, measured in 2016.

The figure is up 1.8% on the previous year and up 7.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, own-account workers, total in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) peaked at 30.8% in 1992 and was at its lowest, 26.7%, in 2007.

That places Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) 11th out of 25 groups with data for 2016, putting it 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 Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income), year by year

Annual values for Own-account workers, total (% of total employment) in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income), 1991 to 2016.
Year % of total employment Change
1991 29.1%
1992 30.8% +5.8%
1993 29.8% -3.4%
1994 30.7% +3.2%
1995 29.7% -3.2%
1996 29.4% -1.2%
1997 28.2% -4.1%
1998 28.0% -0.7%
1999 28.0% +0.2%
2000 28.0% -0.2%
2001 29.0% +3.9%
2002 29.2% +0.7%
2003 29.4% +0.4%
2004 29.0% -1.2%
2005 27.3% -6.1%
2006 26.7% -1.9%
2007 26.7% -0.2%
2008 26.8% +0.5%
2009 27.0% +0.9%
2010 27.3% +1.0%
2011 27.4% +0.4%
2012 27.7% +0.9%
2013 27.8% +0.4%
2014 27.6% -0.6%
2015 28.1% +1.8%
2016 28.6% +1.8%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 29.3% 28.0% 30.8% 9
2000s 27.9% 26.7% 29.4% 10
2010s 27.8% 27.3% 28.6% 7

Countries ranked near Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)

  1. 8 Congo 70.4% compare
  2. 9 Cameroon 70.3% compare
  3. 10 Central African Republic 64.6% compare
  4. 11 India 64.3% compare
  5. 12 Vanuatu 63.9% compare
  6. 13 Guinea-Bissau 63.4% compare
  7. 14 Liberia 62.5% compare

See the full ranking of 213 places →

More work & labour data for Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)

All data for Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) →

Frequently asked questions

What is own-account workers, total in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)?
Own-account workers, total in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) was 28.6% in 2016, according to the World Bank.
What is the highest own-account workers, total recorded in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)?
The highest recorded value was 30.8% in 1992.
What is the lowest own-account workers, total recorded in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)?
The lowest recorded value was 26.7% in 2007.
How does Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) rank for own-account workers, total?
Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) ranks 11th out of 25 groups with data for 2016.
Is own-account workers, total rising or falling in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)?
Over the last ten years it is up 7.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) 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 Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income). Statizoid. Retrieved 16 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/own-account-workers-total-percent-of-total-employment/latin-america-and-caribbean-excluding-high-income/

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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