Self-employed, female (% of female employment) in Europe & Central Asia
Europe & Central Asia: Self-employed, female (% of female employment) was 13.2% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Self-employed, female (% of female employment) in Europe & Central Asia, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
The most recent figure for self-employed, female (% of female employment) in Europe & Central Asia is 13.2%, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.
The figure is down 0.5% on the previous year and down 10.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, self-employed, female (% of female employment) in Europe & Central Asia peaked at 18.1% in 1997 and was at its lowest, 13.2%, in 2025.
That places Europe & Central Asia 40th out of 47 groups with data for 2025, putting it 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, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 16.8% | — |
| 1992 | 17.2% | +2.2% |
| 1993 | 17.2% | -0.1% |
| 1994 | 17.7% | +2.9% |
| 1995 | 17.9% | +0.9% |
| 1996 | 17.8% | -0.2% |
| 1997 | 18.1% | +1.7% |
| 1998 | 18.0% | -0.4% |
| 1999 | 17.7% | -1.6% |
| 2000 | 17.4% | -2.0% |
| 2001 | 17.4% | +0.2% |
| 2002 | 16.8% | -3.3% |
| 2003 | 16.7% | -1.1% |
| 2004 | 16.0% | -3.9% |
| 2005 | 15.7% | -2.0% |
| 2006 | 15.5% | -1.5% |
| 2007 | 15.1% | -2.2% |
| 2008 | 14.9% | -1.2% |
| 2009 | 15.1% | +1.0% |
| 2010 | 15.3% | +1.3% |
| 2011 | 15.3% | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 15.1% | -1.2% |
| 2013 | 15.0% | -0.6% |
| 2014 | 15.0% | -0.5% |
| 2015 | 14.7% | -1.6% |
| 2016 | 14.6% | -0.9% |
| 2017 | 14.3% | -1.9% |
| 2018 | 14.1% | -1.4% |
| 2019 | 13.9% | -1.3% |
| 2020 | 13.8% | -1.1% |
| 2021 | 13.7% | -0.6% |
| 2022 | 13.4% | -2.0% |
| 2023 | 13.3% | -1.2% |
| 2024 | 13.3% | -0.3% |
| 2025 | 13.2% | -0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 17.6% | 16.8% | 18.1% | 9 |
| 2000s | 16.1% | 14.9% | 17.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.7% | 13.9% | 15.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 13.4% | 13.2% | 13.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Europe & Central Asia
- 37 Senegal 76.2% compare
- 38 Kenya 74.0% compare
- 39 Ghana 73.7% compare
- 40 Pakistan 73.3% compare
- 41 Mauritania 71.9% compare
- 42 Azerbaijan 71.6% compare
- 43 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 69.7% compare
More work & labour data for Europe & Central Asia
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 51.1% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 58.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 65.9% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) 35.9% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) 44.5% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) 40.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 79.3% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 78.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 66.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 72.8% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is self-employed, female (% of female employment) in Europe & Central Asia?
- Self-employed, female (% of female employment) in Europe & Central Asia was 13.2% 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?
- The highest recorded value was 18.1% in 1997.
- What is the lowest self-employed, female (% of female employment) recorded in Europe & Central Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.2% in 2025.
- How does Europe & Central Asia rank for self-employed, female (% of female employment)?
- Europe & Central Asia ranks 40th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is self-employed, female (% of female employment) rising or falling in Europe & Central Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Europe & Central Asia 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.