Self-employed, male (% of male employment) in Kenya
Kenya: Self-employed, male (% of male employment) was 56.7% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Self-employed, male (% of male employment) in Kenya, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, self-employed, male (% of male employment) in Kenya stood at 56.7%.
The figure is down 0.4% on the previous year and up 5.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, self-employed, male (% of male employment) in Kenya peaked at 58.0% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 53.3%, in 1999.
That places Kenya 45th out of 187 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Self-employed, male (% of male employment) in Kenya, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 53.4% | — |
| 1992 | 53.4% | -0.1% |
| 1993 | 53.5% | +0.2% |
| 1994 | 53.5% | +0.1% |
| 1995 | 53.5% | +0.1% |
| 1996 | 53.5% | -0.2% |
| 1997 | 53.5% | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 53.4% | -0.1% |
| 1999 | 53.3% | -0.2% |
| 2000 | 53.5% | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 53.8% | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 54.0% | +0.5% |
| 2003 | 54.3% | +0.5% |
| 2004 | 54.4% | +0.2% |
| 2005 | 54.4% | +0.1% |
| 2006 | 54.4% | -0.0% |
| 2007 | 54.3% | -0.2% |
| 2008 | 54.4% | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 54.4% | +0.1% |
| 2010 | 54.3% | -0.1% |
| 2011 | 54.2% | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 54.1% | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 54.1% | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 54.0% | -0.2% |
| 2015 | 53.9% | -0.2% |
| 2016 | 53.8% | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 53.8% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 53.8% | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 53.9% | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 56.5% | +4.9% |
| 2021 | 58.0% | +2.6% |
| 2022 | 57.6% | -0.7% |
| 2023 | 57.2% | -0.6% |
| 2024 | 56.9% | -0.6% |
| 2025 | 56.7% | -0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 53.4% | 53.3% | 53.5% | 9 |
| 2000s | 54.2% | 53.5% | 54.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 54.0% | 53.8% | 54.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 57.1% | 56.5% | 58.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
More work & labour data for Kenya
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.0278 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.0507 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.0073 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate 0.2281 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 2.98 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 44,185 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 51,282 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 53,727 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 50,468 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 104,196 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is self-employed, male (% of male employment) in Kenya?
- Self-employed, male (% of male employment) in Kenya was 56.7% 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 Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 58.0% in 2021.
- What is the lowest self-employed, male (% of male employment) recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 53.3% in 1999.
- How does Kenya rank for self-employed, male (% of male employment)?
- Kenya ranks 45th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is self-employed, male (% of male employment) rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Kenya 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.