Own-account workers, total in Malaysia

Malaysia: Own-account workers, total was 17.8% in 2016. ▼ Falling

Latest (2016)
17.8%
Change on year
up 1.2%
World rank
115th
of 186 countries
All-time high
24.6%
in 1991
All-time low
15.5%
in 2002
Years of data
26
1991–2016

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

05101520251991200320161991: 24.6 % of total employment1992: 18.8 % of total employment1993: 18.8 % of total employment1994: 18.5 % of total employment1995: 18.1 % of total employment1996: 17.9 % of total employment1997: 16.8 % of total employment1998: 17.5 % of total employment1999: 16.7 % of total employment2000: 17.1 % of total employment2001: 16.2 % of total employment2002: 15.5 % of total employment2003: 15.6 % of total employment2004: 16.9 % of total employment2005: 16.7 % of total employment2006: 16.9 % of total employment2007: 17.5 % of total employment2008: 17.5 % of total employment2009: 17.2 % of total employment2010: 17.1 % of total employment2011: 15.6 % of total employment2012: 16.7 % of total employment2013: 17.5 % of total employment2014: 16.6 % of total employment2015: 17.6 % of total employment2016: 17.8 % of total employment

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

Analysis

In 2016, own-account workers, total in Malaysia stood at 17.8%.

That represents a change of up 1.2% on the previous year and up 5.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, own-account workers, total in Malaysia peaked at 24.6% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 15.5%, in 2002.

That places Malaysia 115th out of 186 countries 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 Malaysia, year by year

Annual values for Own-account workers, total (% of total employment) in Malaysia, 1991 to 2016.
Year % of total employment Change
1991 24.6%
1992 18.8% -23.9%
1993 18.8% +0.3%
1994 18.5% -1.4%
1995 18.1% -2.2%
1996 17.9% -1.1%
1997 16.8% -6.3%
1998 17.5% +4.2%
1999 16.7% -4.6%
2000 17.1% +2.3%
2001 16.2% -5.4%
2002 15.5% -4.1%
2003 15.6% +0.5%
2004 16.9% +8.1%
2005 16.7% -1.1%
2006 16.9% +1.4%
2007 17.5% +3.1%
2008 17.5% +0.0%
2009 17.2% -1.6%
2010 17.1% -0.4%
2011 15.6% -8.6%
2012 16.7% +6.5%
2013 17.5% +4.9%
2014 16.6% -5.2%
2015 17.6% +6.3%
2016 17.8% +1.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 18.7% 16.7% 24.6% 9
2000s 16.7% 15.5% 17.5% 10
2010s 17.0% 15.6% 17.8% 7

Countries ranked near Malaysia

  1. 112 Uzbekistan 19.5% compare
  2. 113 Kenya 19.3% compare
  3. 114 Eswatini 18.4% compare
  4. 116 Tunisia 17.7% compare
  5. 117 South Sudan 17.6% compare
  6. 118 Romania 17.0% compare

See the full ranking of 213 places →

More work & labour data for Malaysia

All data for Malaysia →

Frequently asked questions

What is own-account workers, total in Malaysia?
Own-account workers, total in Malaysia was 17.8% in 2016, according to the World Bank.
What is the highest own-account workers, total recorded in Malaysia?
The highest recorded value was 24.6% in 1991.
What is the lowest own-account workers, total recorded in Malaysia?
The lowest recorded value was 15.5% in 2002.
How does Malaysia rank for own-account workers, total?
Malaysia ranks 115th out of 186 countries with data for 2016.
Is own-account workers, total rising or falling in Malaysia?
Over the last ten years it is up 5.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Malaysia 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 Malaysia. Statizoid. Retrieved 03 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/own-account-workers-total-percent-of-total-employment/malaysia/

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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