Self-employed, female (% of female employment) in Australia
Australia: Self-employed, female (% of female employment) was 12.3% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Self-employed, female (% of female employment) in Australia, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, self-employed, female (% of female employment) in Australia stood at 12.3%.
That represents a change of down 0.3% on the previous year and up 6.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, self-employed, female (% of female employment) in Australia peaked at 16.1% in 1993 and was at its lowest, 11.5%, in 2008.
Australia ranks 136th of 187 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Self-employed, female (% of female employment) in Australia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 15.9% | — |
| 1992 | 16.0% | +0.9% |
| 1993 | 16.1% | +0.3% |
| 1994 | 16.0% | -0.2% |
| 1995 | 15.9% | -0.7% |
| 1996 | 15.9% | -0.4% |
| 1997 | 15.8% | -0.5% |
| 1998 | 15.5% | -1.8% |
| 1999 | 15.4% | -0.4% |
| 2000 | 15.3% | -1.0% |
| 2001 | 15.1% | -1.1% |
| 2002 | 14.9% | -1.6% |
| 2003 | 14.1% | -4.9% |
| 2004 | 15.0% | +5.9% |
| 2005 | 13.1% | -12.8% |
| 2006 | 13.1% | +0.6% |
| 2007 | 11.9% | -9.7% |
| 2008 | 11.5% | -3.1% |
| 2009 | 12.4% | +8.2% |
| 2010 | 11.5% | -7.2% |
| 2011 | 13.2% | +14.3% |
| 2012 | 12.2% | -7.2% |
| 2013 | 11.8% | -3.9% |
| 2014 | 11.6% | -1.6% |
| 2015 | 11.6% | +0.5% |
| 2016 | 12.4% | +6.2% |
| 2017 | 12.3% | -0.4% |
| 2018 | 12.1% | -1.5% |
| 2019 | 12.6% | +3.7% |
| 2020 | 12.5% | -0.7% |
| 2021 | 12.7% | +2.0% |
| 2022 | 12.5% | -1.5% |
| 2023 | 12.4% | -0.9% |
| 2024 | 12.4% | -0.3% |
| 2025 | 12.3% | -0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 15.8% | 15.4% | 16.1% | 9 |
| 2000s | 13.6% | 11.5% | 15.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 12.1% | 11.5% | 13.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 12.5% | 12.3% | 12.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Australia
- 133 Guam 13.2% compare
- 134 Barbados 13.2% compare
- 135 Netherlands 12.7% compare
- 137 New Caledonia 11.7% compare
- 138 North Macedonia 11.6% compare
- 139 Montenegro 11.6% compare
More work & labour data for Australia
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.5057 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.4907 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.5202 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -0.9895 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.8931 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 30,186 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 3,001 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 21,642 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 21,502 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 43,144 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is self-employed, female (% of female employment) in Australia?
- Self-employed, female (% of female employment) in Australia was 12.3% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest self-employed, female (% of female employment) recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 16.1% in 1993.
- What is the lowest self-employed, female (% of female employment) recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.5% in 2008.
- How does Australia rank for self-employed, female (% of female employment)?
- Australia ranks 136th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is self-employed, female (% of female employment) rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Self-employed, female (% of female employment) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Self-employed workers are those workers who, working on their own account or with one or a few partners or in cooperative, hold the type of jobs defined as a "self-employment jobs." i.e. jobs where the remuneration is directly dependent upon the profits derived from the goods and services produced. Self-employed workers include sub-categories of employers, own-account workers and members of producers' cooperatives and contributing family workers.