Self-employed, female (% of female employment) in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)
Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries): Self-employed, female (% of female employment) was 16.9% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Self-employed, female (% of female employment) in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries), 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, self-employed, female (% of female employment) in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) stood at 16.9%. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.
That represents a change of down 0.6% on the previous year and down 13.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, self-employed, female (% of female employment) in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) peaked at 24.9% in 1998 and was at its lowest, 16.9%, in 2025.
Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 39th of 47 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Self-employed, female (% of female employment) in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 21.4% | — |
| 1992 | 22.0% | +2.6% |
| 1993 | 22.2% | +1.0% |
| 1994 | 23.2% | +4.7% |
| 1995 | 23.7% | +1.8% |
| 1996 | 23.9% | +1.1% |
| 1997 | 24.8% | +3.6% |
| 1998 | 24.9% | +0.7% |
| 1999 | 24.5% | -1.6% |
| 2000 | 24.2% | -1.5% |
| 2001 | 24.4% | +1.0% |
| 2002 | 23.4% | -4.1% |
| 2003 | 23.1% | -1.4% |
| 2004 | 21.6% | -6.2% |
| 2005 | 21.1% | -2.5% |
| 2006 | 20.6% | -2.5% |
| 2007 | 20.1% | -2.2% |
| 2008 | 20.0% | -0.5% |
| 2009 | 20.4% | +1.7% |
| 2010 | 20.6% | +1.3% |
| 2011 | 20.6% | +0.1% |
| 2012 | 20.2% | -2.2% |
| 2013 | 20.1% | -0.6% |
| 2014 | 19.8% | -1.3% |
| 2015 | 19.5% | -1.7% |
| 2016 | 19.2% | -1.1% |
| 2017 | 18.8% | -2.2% |
| 2018 | 18.6% | -1.0% |
| 2019 | 18.4% | -1.3% |
| 2020 | 18.0% | -2.0% |
| 2021 | 17.7% | -1.4% |
| 2022 | 17.4% | -1.7% |
| 2023 | 17.2% | -1.6% |
| 2024 | 17.0% | -0.8% |
| 2025 | 16.9% | -0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 23.4% | 21.4% | 24.9% | 9 |
| 2000s | 21.9% | 20.0% | 24.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 19.6% | 18.4% | 20.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 17.4% | 16.9% | 18.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)
More work & labour data for Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 58.1% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) 35.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 60.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) 41.8% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) 29.1% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 69.2% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 71.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 68.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 78.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 48.6% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is self-employed, female (% of female employment) in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Self-employed, female (% of female employment) in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) was 16.9% 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 Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The highest recorded value was 24.9% in 1998.
- What is the lowest self-employed, female (% of female employment) recorded in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.9% in 2025.
- How does Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) rank for self-employed, female (% of female employment)?
- Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 39th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is self-employed, female (% of female employment) rising or falling in Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Europe & Central Asia (IDA & IBRD countries) 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.