Self-employed, female (% of female employment) in Least developed countries
Least developed countries: Self-employed, female (% of female employment) was 82.1% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Self-employed, female (% of female employment) in Least developed countries, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, self-employed, female (% of female employment) in Least developed countries stood at 82.1%.
The figure is down 0.2% on the previous year and down 2.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, self-employed, female (% of female employment) in Least developed countries peaked at 88.6% in 1992 and was at its lowest, 82.1%, in 2022.
That places Least developed countries 8th out of 47 groups with data for 2025, putting it 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 Least developed countries, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 88.6% | — |
| 1992 | 88.6% | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 88.5% | -0.1% |
| 1994 | 88.6% | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 88.5% | -0.0% |
| 1996 | 88.3% | -0.3% |
| 1997 | 88.1% | -0.3% |
| 1998 | 87.9% | -0.2% |
| 1999 | 87.7% | -0.2% |
| 2000 | 87.6% | -0.1% |
| 2001 | 87.5% | -0.2% |
| 2002 | 87.4% | -0.1% |
| 2003 | 87.3% | -0.1% |
| 2004 | 87.2% | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 87.1% | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 87.0% | -0.2% |
| 2007 | 86.7% | -0.3% |
| 2008 | 86.4% | -0.3% |
| 2009 | 86.1% | -0.4% |
| 2010 | 85.7% | -0.5% |
| 2011 | 85.4% | -0.3% |
| 2012 | 85.2% | -0.2% |
| 2013 | 85.0% | -0.3% |
| 2014 | 84.5% | -0.5% |
| 2015 | 84.1% | -0.5% |
| 2016 | 83.8% | -0.4% |
| 2017 | 83.2% | -0.7% |
| 2018 | 82.8% | -0.5% |
| 2019 | 82.5% | -0.4% |
| 2020 | 82.7% | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 82.4% | -0.4% |
| 2022 | 82.1% | -0.4% |
| 2023 | 82.3% | +0.3% |
| 2024 | 82.3% | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 82.1% | -0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 88.3% | 87.7% | 88.6% | 9 |
| 2000s | 87.0% | 86.1% | 87.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 84.2% | 82.5% | 85.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 82.3% | 82.1% | 82.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Least developed countries
- 5 Mozambique 91.3% compare
- 6 Nepal 90.8% compare
- 7 Liberia 90.7% compare
- 8 Madagascar 90.6% compare
- 9 Burundi 90.6% compare
- 10 Tanzania, United Republic of 90.6% compare
- 11 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 90.5% compare
More work & labour data for Least developed countries
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) 53.9% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 74.8% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 63.5% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) 45.1% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) 49.5% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 76.2% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 73.8% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 52.7% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 54.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 65.2% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is self-employed, female (% of female employment) in Least developed countries?
- Self-employed, female (% of female employment) in Least developed countries was 82.1% 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 Least developed countries?
- The highest recorded value was 88.6% in 1992.
- What is the lowest self-employed, female (% of female employment) recorded in Least developed countries?
- The lowest recorded value was 82.1% in 2022.
- How does Least developed countries rank for self-employed, female (% of female employment)?
- Least developed countries ranks 8th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is self-employed, female (% of female employment) rising or falling in Least developed countries?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Least developed 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.