Self-employed, female (% of female employment) in United Arab Emirates
United Arab Emirates: Self-employed, female (% of female employment) was 5.2% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Self-employed, female (% of female employment) in United Arab Emirates, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
United Arab Emirates recorded 5.2% for self-employed, female (% of female employment) in 2025.
The figure is down 2.9% on the previous year and up 112.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, self-employed, female (% of female employment) in United Arab Emirates peaked at 5.4% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 1.6%, in 1991.
United Arab Emirates ranks 178th of 187 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Self-employed, female (% of female employment) in United Arab Emirates, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 1.6% | — |
| 1992 | 1.6% | +1.7% |
| 1993 | 1.7% | +3.4% |
| 1994 | 1.7% | +2.0% |
| 1995 | 1.7% | +0.4% |
| 1996 | 1.7% | -0.9% |
| 1997 | 1.7% | -1.7% |
| 1998 | 1.7% | +2.5% |
| 1999 | 1.8% | +2.8% |
| 2000 | 1.8% | -0.3% |
| 2001 | 1.8% | +3.3% |
| 2002 | 1.9% | +6.6% |
| 2003 | 2.0% | +2.8% |
| 2004 | 2.0% | -0.3% |
| 2005 | 2.0% | -1.0% |
| 2006 | 2.1% | +6.9% |
| 2007 | 2.3% | +10.6% |
| 2008 | 2.6% | +11.1% |
| 2009 | 2.8% | +8.8% |
| 2010 | 2.9% | +2.5% |
| 2011 | 2.7% | -5.3% |
| 2012 | 2.7% | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 2.7% | -1.1% |
| 2014 | 2.2% | -18.0% |
| 2015 | 2.4% | +10.0% |
| 2016 | 2.5% | +1.6% |
| 2017 | 2.4% | -2.4% |
| 2018 | 3.6% | +48.7% |
| 2019 | 5.1% | +40.9% |
| 2020 | 3.9% | -23.6% |
| 2021 | 3.3% | -14.1% |
| 2022 | 4.2% | +25.5% |
| 2023 | 5.4% | +29.5% |
| 2024 | 5.4% | -1.2% |
| 2025 | 5.2% | -2.9% |
United Arab Emirates compared with similar countries
- United Arab Emirates's 5.2% is below the median for high income countries, which is 9.7%, 54% of the median. (62 countries reporting)
- United Arab Emirates's 5.2% is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 22.9%, 23% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Self-employed, female (% of female employment) in United Arab Emirates changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | +48.7% | 2.4% | 3.6% |
| 2019 | +40.9% | 3.6% | 5.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.7% | 1.6% | 1.8% | 9 |
| 2000s | 2.1% | 1.8% | 2.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.9% | 2.2% | 5.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.6% | 3.3% | 5.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near United Arab Emirates
- 175 Germany 5.9% compare
- 176 Denmark 5.7% compare
- 177 Russian Federation 5.6% compare
- 179 Hong Kong, China 4.7% compare
- 180 Channel Islands 4.5% compare
- 181 Macau, China 4.2% compare
More work & labour data for United Arab Emirates
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.9136 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.7692 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 1.09 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.1 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.7766 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 12,158 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 1,005 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 11,620 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 14,514 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 26,134 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is self-employed, female (% of female employment) in United Arab Emirates?
- Self-employed, female (% of female employment) in United Arab Emirates was 5.2% 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 United Arab Emirates?
- The highest recorded value was 5.4% in 2023.
- What is the lowest self-employed, female (% of female employment) recorded in United Arab Emirates?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.6% in 1991.
- How does United Arab Emirates rank for self-employed, female (% of female employment)?
- United Arab Emirates ranks 178th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is self-employed, female (% of female employment) rising or falling in United Arab Emirates?
- Over the last ten years it is up 112.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United Arab Emirates 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.