Own-account workers, total in Portugal

Portugal: Own-account workers, total was 12.4% in 2016. ▼ Falling

Latest (2016)
12.4%
Change on year
down 5.7%
World rank
135th
of 187 countries
All-time high
21.4%
in 1991
All-time low
12.4%
in 2016
Years of data
26
1991–2016

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

051015201991200320161991: 21.4 % of total employment1992: 17.7 % of total employment1993: 17.8 % of total employment1994: 18.8 % of total employment1995: 19.4 % of total employment1996: 20.3 % of total employment1997: 20.8 % of total employment1998: 19.9 % of total employment1999: 19 % of total employment2000: 17.6 % of total employment2001: 19.3 % of total employment2002: 19.4 % of total employment2003: 19.4 % of total employment2004: 18.3 % of total employment2005: 18.5 % of total employment2006: 18.1 % of total employment2007: 18.2 % of total employment2008: 17.9 % of total employment2009: 17.8 % of total employment2010: 17 % of total employment2011: 15.8 % of total employment2012: 16.4 % of total employment2013: 16 % of total employment2014: 14 % of total employment2015: 13.1 % of total employment2016: 12.4 % of total employment

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

Analysis

In 2016, own-account workers, total in Portugal stood at 12.4%. That is the lowest value across all 26 years on record.

That represents a change of down 5.7% on the previous year and down 31.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, own-account workers, total in Portugal peaked at 21.4% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 12.4%, in 2016.

That places Portugal 135th out of 187 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 Portugal, year by year

Annual values for Own-account workers, total (% of total employment) in Portugal, 1991 to 2016.
Year % of total employment Change
1991 21.4%
1992 17.7% -17.0%
1993 17.8% +0.2%
1994 18.8% +5.8%
1995 19.4% +3.4%
1996 20.3% +4.2%
1997 20.8% +2.6%
1998 19.9% -4.3%
1999 19.0% -4.6%
2000 17.6% -7.1%
2001 19.3% +9.3%
2002 19.4% +0.8%
2003 19.4% -0.1%
2004 18.3% -5.7%
2005 18.5% +1.1%
2006 18.1% -2.4%
2007 18.2% +0.6%
2008 17.9% -1.5%
2009 17.8% -0.7%
2010 17.0% -4.2%
2011 15.8% -7.3%
2012 16.4% +3.9%
2013 16.0% -2.1%
2014 14.0% -12.6%
2015 13.1% -6.4%
2016 12.4% -5.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 19.4% 17.7% 21.4% 9
2000s 18.4% 17.6% 19.4% 10
2010s 15.0% 12.4% 17.0% 7

Countries ranked near Portugal

  1. 132 Czechia 13.5% compare
  2. 133 French Polynesia 13.0% compare
  3. 134 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 12.7% compare
  4. 136 Netherlands 12.4% compare
  5. 137 Israel 12.2% compare
  6. 138 Slovakia 12.1% compare

See the full ranking of 213 places →

More work & labour data for Portugal

All data for Portugal →

Frequently asked questions

What is own-account workers, total in Portugal?
Own-account workers, total in Portugal was 12.4% in 2016, according to the World Bank.
What is the highest own-account workers, total recorded in Portugal?
The highest recorded value was 21.4% in 1991.
What is the lowest own-account workers, total recorded in Portugal?
The lowest recorded value was 12.4% in 2016.
How does Portugal rank for own-account workers, total?
Portugal ranks 135th out of 187 countries with data for 2016.
Is own-account workers, total rising or falling in Portugal?
Over the last ten years it is down 31.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Portugal 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 Portugal. Statizoid. Retrieved 06 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/own-account-workers-total-percent-of-total-employment/portugal/

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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