Own-account workers, total in Switzerland

Switzerland: Own-account workers, total was 7.1% in 2016. ▼ Falling

Latest (2016)
7.1%
Change on year
down 0.1%
World rank
166th
of 186 countries
All-time high
9.0%
in 1995
All-time low
6.7%
in 1996
Years of data
26
1991–2016

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

024681991200320161991: 7.7 % of total employment1992: 7.9 % of total employment1993: 8.6 % of total employment1994: 8.7 % of total employment1995: 9 % of total employment1996: 6.7 % of total employment1997: 7.3 % of total employment1998: 7.2 % of total employment1999: 7 % of total employment2000: 7.2 % of total employment2001: 7.8 % of total employment2002: 7.9 % of total employment2003: 8.5 % of total employment2004: 7.8 % of total employment2005: 7.6 % of total employment2006: 7.5 % of total employment2007: 7.8 % of total employment2008: 7.7 % of total employment2009: 7.3 % of total employment2010: 7.3 % of total employment2011: 7.3 % of total employment2012: 7 % of total employment2013: 7.1 % of total employment2014: 7.2 % of total employment2015: 7.1 % of total employment2016: 7.1 % of total employment

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

Analysis

In 2016, own-account workers, total in Switzerland stood at 7.1%.

That represents a change of down 0.1% on the previous year and down 4.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, own-account workers, total in Switzerland peaked at 9.0% in 1995 and was at its lowest, 6.7%, in 1996.

That places Switzerland 166th 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 Switzerland, year by year

Annual values for Own-account workers, total (% of total employment) in Switzerland, 1991 to 2016.
Year % of total employment Change
1991 7.7%
1992 7.9% +2.8%
1993 8.6% +8.8%
1994 8.7% +1.2%
1995 9.0% +2.8%
1996 6.7% -25.7%
1997 7.3% +10.0%
1998 7.2% -2.5%
1999 7.0% -2.5%
2000 7.2% +2.8%
2001 7.8% +9.0%
2002 7.9% +0.6%
2003 8.5% +8.3%
2004 7.8% -8.7%
2005 7.6% -2.5%
2006 7.5% -1.7%
2007 7.8% +4.4%
2008 7.7% -0.4%
2009 7.3% -6.3%
2010 7.3% +1.0%
2011 7.3% -1.0%
2012 7.0% -3.2%
2013 7.1% +0.9%
2014 7.2% +2.0%
2015 7.1% -2.1%
2016 7.1% -0.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 7.8% 6.7% 9.0% 9
2000s 7.7% 7.2% 8.5% 10
2010s 7.2% 7.0% 7.3% 7

Countries ranked near Switzerland

  1. 163 Bulgaria 7.6% compare
  2. 164 Croatia 7.3% compare
  3. 165 France 7.2% compare
  4. 167 Austria 6.7% compare
  5. 168 Japan 6.2% compare
  6. 169 United States of America 6.1% compare

See the full ranking of 213 places →

More work & labour data for Switzerland

All data for Switzerland →

Frequently asked questions

What is own-account workers, total in Switzerland?
Own-account workers, total in Switzerland was 7.1% in 2016, according to the World Bank.
What is the highest own-account workers, total recorded in Switzerland?
The highest recorded value was 9.0% in 1995.
What is the lowest own-account workers, total recorded in Switzerland?
The lowest recorded value was 6.7% in 1996.
How does Switzerland rank for own-account workers, total?
Switzerland ranks 166th out of 186 countries with data for 2016.
Is own-account workers, total rising or falling in Switzerland?
Over the last ten years it is down 4.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Switzerland 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 Switzerland. Statizoid. Retrieved 03 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/own-account-workers-total-percent-of-total-employment/switzerland/

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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