Self-employed, female (% of female employment) in OECD members
OECD members: Self-employed, female (% of female employment) was 12.5% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Self-employed, female (% of female employment) in OECD members, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
OECD members recorded 12.5% for self-employed, female (% of female employment) in 2025.
That represents a change of down 0.2% on the previous year and down 5.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, self-employed, female (% of female employment) in OECD members peaked at 16.5% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 12.4%, in 2020.
OECD members ranks 41st 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 OECD members, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 16.5% | — |
| 1992 | 16.4% | -0.4% |
| 1993 | 16.2% | -1.7% |
| 1994 | 16.2% | +0.3% |
| 1995 | 16.0% | -1.3% |
| 1996 | 15.8% | -1.6% |
| 1997 | 15.8% | +0.2% |
| 1998 | 15.3% | -2.8% |
| 1999 | 15.0% | -2.0% |
| 2000 | 14.5% | -3.3% |
| 2001 | 14.5% | -0.0% |
| 2002 | 14.3% | -1.6% |
| 2003 | 14.2% | -0.7% |
| 2004 | 14.0% | -1.6% |
| 2005 | 13.7% | -1.6% |
| 2006 | 13.6% | -1.2% |
| 2007 | 13.3% | -1.9% |
| 2008 | 13.2% | -0.7% |
| 2009 | 13.5% | +2.2% |
| 2010 | 13.5% | +0.2% |
| 2011 | 13.7% | +1.0% |
| 2012 | 13.6% | -0.3% |
| 2013 | 13.4% | -1.6% |
| 2014 | 13.2% | -1.2% |
| 2015 | 13.2% | -0.7% |
| 2016 | 13.0% | -1.4% |
| 2017 | 12.8% | -1.1% |
| 2018 | 12.7% | -1.0% |
| 2019 | 12.6% | -0.9% |
| 2020 | 12.4% | -1.3% |
| 2021 | 12.8% | +2.9% |
| 2022 | 12.7% | -0.8% |
| 2023 | 12.5% | -1.2% |
| 2024 | 12.5% | -0.4% |
| 2025 | 12.5% | -0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 15.9% | 15.0% | 16.5% | 9 |
| 2000s | 13.9% | 13.2% | 14.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 13.2% | 12.6% | 13.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 12.6% | 12.4% | 12.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near OECD members
- 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
- 44 Comoros 69.5% compare
More work & labour data for OECD members
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 53.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 60.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 68.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) 43.7% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) 50.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) 47.1% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 80.4% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 78.8% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 66.8% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 73.6% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is self-employed, female (% of female employment) in OECD members?
- Self-employed, female (% of female employment) in OECD members was 12.5% 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 OECD members?
- The highest recorded value was 16.5% in 1991.
- What is the lowest self-employed, female (% of female employment) recorded in OECD members?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.4% in 2020.
- How does OECD members rank for self-employed, female (% of female employment)?
- OECD members ranks 41st out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is self-employed, female (% of female employment) rising or falling in OECD members?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this OECD members 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.