Own-account workers, total in Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia: Own-account workers, total was 3.0% in 2016. ▼ Falling

Latest (2016)
3.0%
Change on year
up 0.4%
World rank
181st
of 186 countries
All-time high
5.9%
in 1991
All-time low
2.9%
in 2015
Years of data
26
1991–2016

Own-account workers, total in Saudi Arabia, 1991–2016

02461991200320161991: 5.9 % of total employment1992: 5.7 % of total employment1993: 5.7 % of total employment1994: 5.7 % of total employment1995: 5.6 % of total employment1996: 5.4 % of total employment1997: 5.3 % of total employment1998: 5.6 % of total employment1999: 5.6 % of total employment2000: 5.3 % of total employment2001: 5.4 % of total employment2002: 5.3 % of total employment2003: 5.2 % of total employment2004: 5 % of total employment2005: 4.8 % of total employment2006: 4.7 % of total employment2007: 4.6 % of total employment2008: 4.4 % of total employment2009: 4.8 % of total employment2010: 3.6 % of total employment2011: 3.4 % of total employment2012: 3.4 % of total employment2013: 3.4 % of total employment2014: 3 % of total employment2015: 2.9 % of total employment2016: 3 % of total employment

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

Analysis

Saudi Arabia recorded 3.0% for own-account workers, total in 2016.

That represents a change of up 0.4% on the previous year and down 36.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, own-account workers, total in Saudi Arabia peaked at 5.9% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 2.9%, in 2015.

That places Saudi Arabia 181st 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 Saudi Arabia, year by year

Annual values for Own-account workers, total (% of total employment) in Saudi Arabia, 1991 to 2016.
Year % of total employment Change
1991 5.9%
1992 5.7% -3.9%
1993 5.7% +1.3%
1994 5.7% -0.8%
1995 5.6% -2.2%
1996 5.4% -3.4%
1997 5.3% -0.5%
1998 5.6% +4.1%
1999 5.6% +0.7%
2000 5.3% -5.0%
2001 5.4% +0.7%
2002 5.3% -1.0%
2003 5.2% -2.4%
2004 5.0% -3.3%
2005 4.8% -5.3%
2006 4.7% -2.1%
2007 4.6% -1.0%
2008 4.4% -3.5%
2009 4.8% +8.2%
2010 3.6% -25.9%
2011 3.4% -5.1%
2012 3.4% -0.6%
2013 3.4% +1.1%
2014 3.0% -11.6%
2015 2.9% -2.1%
2016 3.0% +0.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 5.6% 5.3% 5.9% 9
2000s 4.9% 4.4% 5.4% 10
2010s 3.2% 2.9% 3.6% 7

Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia

  1. 178 Denmark 4.9% compare
  2. 179 Brunei Darussalam 4.5% compare
  3. 180 Macau, China 3.1% compare
  4. 182 Belarus 2.5% compare
  5. 183 Kuwait 1.9% compare
  6. 184 Bahrain 1.5% compare

See the full ranking of 213 places →

More work & labour data for Saudi Arabia

All data for Saudi Arabia →

Frequently asked questions

What is own-account workers, total in Saudi Arabia?
Own-account workers, total in Saudi Arabia was 3.0% in 2016, according to the World Bank.
What is the highest own-account workers, total recorded in Saudi Arabia?
The highest recorded value was 5.9% in 1991.
What is the lowest own-account workers, total recorded in Saudi Arabia?
The lowest recorded value was 2.9% in 2015.
How does Saudi Arabia rank for own-account workers, total?
Saudi Arabia ranks 181st out of 186 countries with data for 2016.
Is own-account workers, total rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
Over the last ten years it is down 36.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Saudi Arabia 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 Saudi Arabia. Statizoid. Retrieved 04 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/own-account-workers-total-percent-of-total-employment/saudi-arabia/

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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