Self-employed, male (% of male employment) in Belgium
Belgium: Self-employed, male (% of male employment) was 17.7% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Self-employed, male (% of male employment) in Belgium, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
The most recent figure for self-employed, male (% of male employment) in Belgium is 17.7%, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of down 0.7% on the previous year and down 7.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, self-employed, male (% of male employment) in Belgium peaked at 20.5% in 1996 and was at its lowest, 17.3%, in 2008.
That places Belgium 143rd out of 187 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Self-employed, male (% of male employment) in Belgium, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 19.6% | — |
| 1992 | 20.0% | +2.3% |
| 1993 | 20.3% | +1.6% |
| 1994 | 20.3% | -0.2% |
| 1995 | 20.4% | +0.2% |
| 1996 | 20.5% | +0.6% |
| 1997 | 19.6% | -4.1% |
| 1998 | 20.3% | +3.3% |
| 1999 | 19.5% | -3.7% |
| 2000 | 18.6% | -5.0% |
| 2001 | 17.5% | -5.5% |
| 2002 | 17.9% | +2.0% |
| 2003 | 17.9% | -0.2% |
| 2004 | 17.3% | -3.0% |
| 2005 | 17.9% | +3.4% |
| 2006 | 18.0% | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 17.9% | -0.5% |
| 2008 | 17.3% | -3.3% |
| 2009 | 18.1% | +4.5% |
| 2010 | 17.6% | -2.3% |
| 2011 | 17.6% | -0.3% |
| 2012 | 17.9% | +1.7% |
| 2013 | 18.9% | +5.5% |
| 2014 | 18.2% | -3.5% |
| 2015 | 19.1% | +4.7% |
| 2016 | 18.6% | -2.3% |
| 2017 | 18.2% | -2.5% |
| 2018 | 18.2% | +0.5% |
| 2019 | 18.6% | +2.1% |
| 2020 | 19.5% | +4.5% |
| 2021 | 17.9% | -7.9% |
| 2022 | 18.7% | +4.3% |
| 2023 | 18.0% | -3.6% |
| 2024 | 17.8% | -1.1% |
| 2025 | 17.7% | -0.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 20.1% | 19.5% | 20.5% | 9 |
| 2000s | 17.8% | 17.3% | 18.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 18.3% | 17.6% | 19.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 18.3% | 17.7% | 19.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
More work & labour data for Belgium
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.1652 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.1676 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.1614 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.59 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.1395 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 12,349 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 139 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 5,498 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 5,563 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 11,061 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is self-employed, male (% of male employment) in Belgium?
- Self-employed, male (% of male employment) in Belgium was 17.7% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest self-employed, male (% of male employment) recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 20.5% in 1996.
- What is the lowest self-employed, male (% of male employment) recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 17.3% in 2008.
- How does Belgium rank for self-employed, male (% of male employment)?
- Belgium ranks 143rd out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is self-employed, male (% of male employment) rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Belgium data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Self-employed, male (% of male 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.