Self-employed, male (% of male employment) in Germany
Germany: Self-employed, male (% of male employment) was 10.1% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Self-employed, male (% of male employment) in Germany, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Germany recorded 10.1% for self-employed, male (% of male employment) in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.
The figure is down 0.4% on the previous year and down 26.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, self-employed, male (% of male employment) in Germany peaked at 15.6% in 2006 and was at its lowest, 10.1%, in 2025.
Germany ranks 174th of 187 countries on this measure, 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 Germany, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 11.1% | — |
| 1992 | 11.6% | +4.6% |
| 1993 | 12.1% | +3.9% |
| 1994 | 12.6% | +4.2% |
| 1995 | 12.7% | +0.8% |
| 1996 | 12.7% | -0.1% |
| 1997 | 13.1% | +3.4% |
| 1998 | 13.2% | +1.0% |
| 1999 | 13.1% | -1.3% |
| 2000 | 13.2% | +1.1% |
| 2001 | 13.6% | +3.0% |
| 2002 | 13.7% | +0.7% |
| 2003 | 14.2% | +3.9% |
| 2004 | 15.1% | +6.0% |
| 2005 | 15.3% | +1.2% |
| 2006 | 15.6% | +2.1% |
| 2007 | 14.8% | -4.8% |
| 2008 | 14.5% | -2.5% |
| 2009 | 14.8% | +2.5% |
| 2010 | 14.4% | -2.6% |
| 2011 | 15.1% | +4.3% |
| 2012 | 15.0% | -0.7% |
| 2013 | 14.4% | -3.9% |
| 2014 | 14.0% | -2.3% |
| 2015 | 13.8% | -1.8% |
| 2016 | 13.5% | -2.0% |
| 2017 | 13.2% | -2.4% |
| 2018 | 12.7% | -3.7% |
| 2019 | 12.3% | -3.3% |
| 2020 | 11.3% | -8.1% |
| 2021 | 11.4% | +0.7% |
| 2022 | 10.5% | -7.2% |
| 2023 | 10.3% | -2.2% |
| 2024 | 10.2% | -1.4% |
| 2025 | 10.1% | -0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 12.5% | 11.1% | 13.2% | 9 |
| 2000s | 14.5% | 13.2% | 15.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 13.8% | 12.3% | 15.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 10.6% | 10.1% | 11.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Germany
- 171 Hong Kong, China 10.9% compare
- 172 Luxembourg 10.8% compare
- 173 Japan 10.3% compare
- 175 Denmark 9.9% compare
- 176 Macau, China 9.4% compare
- 177 United States of America 8.0% compare
More work & labour data for Germany
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.0436 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.0549 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.0322 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.95 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.0388 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 66,826 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 12,413 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 35,391 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 35,508 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 70,900 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is self-employed, male (% of male employment) in Germany?
- Self-employed, male (% of male employment) in Germany was 10.1% 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 Germany?
- The highest recorded value was 15.6% in 2006.
- What is the lowest self-employed, male (% of male employment) recorded in Germany?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.1% in 2025.
- How does Germany rank for self-employed, male (% of male employment)?
- Germany ranks 174th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is self-employed, male (% of male employment) rising or falling in Germany?
- Over the last ten years it is down 26.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Germany 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.
Download this data
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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.