Self-employed, female (% of female employment) in India
India: Self-employed, female (% of female employment) was 78.8% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Self-employed, female (% of female employment) in India, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, self-employed, female (% of female employment) in India stood at 78.8%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.7% on the previous year and down 5.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, self-employed, female (% of female employment) in India peaked at 92.6% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 78.2%, in 2021.
India ranks 34th of 187 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Self-employed, female (% of female employment) in India, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 92.6% | — |
| 1992 | 92.4% | -0.2% |
| 1993 | 92.3% | -0.2% |
| 1994 | 92.1% | -0.2% |
| 1995 | 91.8% | -0.2% |
| 1996 | 91.6% | -0.3% |
| 1997 | 91.4% | -0.2% |
| 1998 | 91.2% | -0.2% |
| 1999 | 90.9% | -0.2% |
| 2000 | 90.7% | -0.3% |
| 2001 | 90.5% | -0.2% |
| 2002 | 90.3% | -0.2% |
| 2003 | 90.0% | -0.2% |
| 2004 | 89.8% | -0.3% |
| 2005 | 89.5% | -0.3% |
| 2006 | 89.3% | -0.3% |
| 2007 | 89.0% | -0.3% |
| 2008 | 88.8% | -0.3% |
| 2009 | 88.5% | -0.3% |
| 2010 | 88.3% | -0.3% |
| 2011 | 86.8% | -1.7% |
| 2012 | 85.3% | -1.8% |
| 2013 | 84.6% | -0.8% |
| 2014 | 83.8% | -0.9% |
| 2015 | 83.1% | -0.9% |
| 2016 | 82.2% | -1.0% |
| 2017 | 81.3% | -1.1% |
| 2018 | 80.4% | -1.2% |
| 2019 | 79.4% | -1.2% |
| 2020 | 78.6% | -1.0% |
| 2021 | 78.2% | -0.6% |
| 2022 | 78.6% | +0.5% |
| 2023 | 80.1% | +2.0% |
| 2024 | 79.4% | -0.9% |
| 2025 | 78.8% | -0.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 91.8% | 90.9% | 92.6% | 9 |
| 2000s | 89.6% | 88.5% | 90.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 83.5% | 79.4% | 88.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 79.0% | 78.2% | 80.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near India
More work & labour data for India
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.5076 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.5076 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.5078 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.12 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 1.47 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 876,613 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 782,365 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 743,542 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 761,710 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 1.51 million 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is self-employed, female (% of female employment) in India?
- Self-employed, female (% of female employment) in India was 78.8% 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 India?
- The highest recorded value was 92.6% in 1991.
- What is the lowest self-employed, female (% of female employment) recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 78.2% in 2021.
- How does India rank for self-employed, female (% of female employment)?
- India ranks 34th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is self-employed, female (% of female employment) rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this India 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.