Self-employed, female (% of female employment) in Italy

Italy: Self-employed, female (% of female employment) was 15.9% in 2025. ▼ Falling

Latest (2025)
15.9%
Change on year
down 0.4%
World rank
125th
of 187 countries
All-time high
20.8%
in 1992
All-time low
15.7%
in 2021
Years of data
35
1991–2025

Self-employed, female (% of female employment) in Italy, 1991–2025

051015201991200820251991: 19.41992: 20.81993: 20.31994: 20.11995: 20.31996: 201997: 19.71998: 19.51999: 192000: 18.92001: 192002: 18.72003: 18.72004: 19.32005: 18.12006: 182007: 17.82008: 17.42009: 16.92010: 17.12011: 17.12012: 172013: 172014: 172015: 16.92016: 16.62017: 16.12018: 162019: 16.12020: 15.82021: 15.72022: 15.82023: 15.92024: 15.92025: 15.9

Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).

Analysis

The most recent figure for self-employed, female (% of female employment) in Italy is 15.9%, measured in 2025.

The figure is down 0.4% on the previous year and down 5.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, self-employed, female (% of female employment) in Italy peaked at 20.8% in 1992 and was at its lowest, 15.7%, in 2021.

Italy ranks 125th 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 Italy, year by year

Annual values for Self-employed, female (% of female employment) (modeled ILO estimate) in Italy, 1991 to 2025.
Year Value Change
1991 19.4%
1992 20.8% +7.2%
1993 20.3% -2.5%
1994 20.1% -0.7%
1995 20.3% +0.6%
1996 20.0% -1.3%
1997 19.7% -1.4%
1998 19.5% -1.0%
1999 19.0% -2.9%
2000 18.9% -0.2%
2001 19.0% +0.4%
2002 18.7% -1.6%
2003 18.7% -0.0%
2004 19.3% +3.4%
2005 18.1% -6.3%
2006 18.0% -0.7%
2007 17.8% -1.1%
2008 17.4% -2.4%
2009 16.9% -2.9%
2010 17.1% +1.6%
2011 17.1% -0.5%
2012 17.0% -0.6%
2013 17.0% +0.3%
2014 17.0% +0.1%
2015 16.9% -1.0%
2016 16.6% -1.5%
2017 16.1% -3.2%
2018 16.0% -0.3%
2019 16.1% +0.3%
2020 15.8% -1.5%
2021 15.7% -0.9%
2022 15.8% +1.0%
2023 15.9% +0.6%
2024 15.9% +0.1%
2025 15.9% -0.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 19.9% 19.0% 20.8% 9
2000s 18.3% 16.9% 19.3% 10
2010s 16.7% 16.0% 17.1% 10
2020s 15.8% 15.7% 15.9% 6

Countries ranked near Italy

  1. 122 Saint Lucia 18.5% compare
  2. 123 Malaysia 18.2% compare
  3. 124 Trinidad and Tobago 17.0% compare
  4. 126 Tunisia 15.2% compare
  5. 127 French Polynesia 15.1% compare
  6. 128 Switzerland 15.1% compare

See the full ranking of 235 places →

More work & labour data for Italy

All data for Italy →

Frequently asked questions

What is self-employed, female (% of female employment) in Italy?
Self-employed, female (% of female employment) in Italy was 15.9% 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 Italy?
The highest recorded value was 20.8% in 1992.
What is the lowest self-employed, female (% of female employment) recorded in Italy?
The lowest recorded value was 15.7% in 2021.
How does Italy rank for self-employed, female (% of female employment)?
Italy ranks 125th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
Is self-employed, female (% of female employment) rising or falling in Italy?
Over the last ten years it is down 5.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Italy 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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Self-employed, female (% of female employment) in Italy. Statizoid, drawing on ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO). Retrieved 11 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/self-employed-female-percent-of-female-employment-modeled-ilo-estimate/italy/

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About this data

Indicator
Self-employed, female (% of female employment) (modeled ILO estimate)
Source
ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
235 places, 8,211 data points, 1991–2025
Last refreshed

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.