Self-employed, female (% of female employment) in Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea: Self-employed, female (% of female employment) was 85.5% in 2025. ▬ Flat
Self-employed, female (% of female employment) in Papua New Guinea, 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 Papua New Guinea is 85.5%, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.
The figure is down 0.2% on the previous year and down 1.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, self-employed, female (% of female employment) in Papua New Guinea peaked at 88.9% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 85.5%, in 2025.
That places Papua New Guinea 20th out of 187 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
Self-employed, female (% of female employment) in Papua New Guinea, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 88.9% | — |
| 1992 | 88.8% | -0.1% |
| 1993 | 88.7% | -0.1% |
| 1994 | 88.5% | -0.1% |
| 1995 | 88.4% | -0.1% |
| 1996 | 88.4% | -0.1% |
| 1997 | 88.4% | -0.0% |
| 1998 | 88.4% | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 88.4% | -0.0% |
| 2000 | 88.4% | -0.0% |
| 2001 | 88.4% | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 88.5% | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 88.5% | -0.0% |
| 2004 | 88.4% | -0.0% |
| 2005 | 88.4% | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 88.3% | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 88.1% | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 88.0% | -0.2% |
| 2009 | 87.9% | -0.1% |
| 2010 | 87.7% | -0.2% |
| 2011 | 87.5% | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 87.3% | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 87.2% | -0.2% |
| 2014 | 87.0% | -0.3% |
| 2015 | 86.7% | -0.3% |
| 2016 | 86.5% | -0.2% |
| 2017 | 86.3% | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 86.2% | -0.2% |
| 2019 | 86.0% | -0.2% |
| 2020 | 86.3% | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 85.9% | -0.4% |
| 2022 | 85.9% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 85.8% | -0.1% |
| 2024 | 85.7% | -0.2% |
| 2025 | 85.5% | -0.2% |
Papua New Guinea compared with similar countries
- Papua New Guinea's 85.5% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 72.6%, 1.2× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Papua New Guinea's 85.5% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 37.3%, 2.3× the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 88.5% | 88.4% | 88.9% | 9 |
| 2000s | 88.3% | 87.9% | 88.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 86.8% | 86.0% | 87.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 85.9% | 85.5% | 86.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Papua New Guinea
More work & labour data for Papua New Guinea
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.0564 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.0424 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.0705 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate 0.4419 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 3.49 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 3,326 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 10,546 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 9,357 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 9,284 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 18,640 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is self-employed, female (% of female employment) in Papua New Guinea?
- Self-employed, female (% of female employment) in Papua New Guinea was 85.5% 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 Papua New Guinea?
- The highest recorded value was 88.9% in 1991.
- What is the lowest self-employed, female (% of female employment) recorded in Papua New Guinea?
- The lowest recorded value was 85.5% in 2025.
- How does Papua New Guinea rank for self-employed, female (% of female employment)?
- Papua New Guinea ranks 20th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is self-employed, female (% of female employment) rising or falling in Papua New Guinea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Papua New Guinea 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.