Self-employed, male (% of male employment) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Self-employed, male (% of male employment) was 16.2% in 2025. ▬ Flat
Self-employed, male (% of male employment) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, self-employed, male (% of male employment) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland stood at 16.2%. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.
That represents a change of down 0.7% on the previous year and down 15.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, self-employed, male (% of male employment) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 19.5% in 2014 and was at its lowest, 16.2%, in 2025.
That places United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 157th out of 187 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Self-employed, male (% of male employment) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 18.4% | — |
| 1992 | 18.2% | -1.5% |
| 1993 | 18.1% | -0.6% |
| 1994 | 18.5% | +2.7% |
| 1995 | 18.4% | -0.6% |
| 1996 | 17.9% | -3.1% |
| 1997 | 17.6% | -1.6% |
| 1998 | 16.9% | -4.0% |
| 1999 | 17.0% | +1.1% |
| 2000 | 16.4% | -3.8% |
| 2001 | 16.4% | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 16.5% | +0.6% |
| 2003 | 17.4% | +5.6% |
| 2004 | 17.6% | +1.0% |
| 2005 | 17.5% | -0.8% |
| 2006 | 17.6% | +0.9% |
| 2007 | 17.8% | +0.9% |
| 2008 | 17.8% | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 18.1% | +1.4% |
| 2010 | 18.4% | +1.8% |
| 2011 | 18.5% | +0.7% |
| 2012 | 19.0% | +2.8% |
| 2013 | 18.6% | -2.2% |
| 2014 | 19.5% | +4.5% |
| 2015 | 19.0% | -2.2% |
| 2016 | 19.3% | +1.2% |
| 2017 | 19.2% | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 18.8% | -2.3% |
| 2019 | 18.8% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 18.0% | -4.3% |
| 2021 | 16.6% | -7.9% |
| 2022 | 16.2% | -2.5% |
| 2023 | 16.4% | +1.2% |
| 2024 | 16.3% | -0.5% |
| 2025 | 16.2% | -0.7% |
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's 16.2% is below the median for high income countries, which is 16.6%, 97% of the median. (62 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's 16.2% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 18.0%, 90% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 17.9% | 16.9% | 18.5% | 9 |
| 2000s | 17.3% | 16.4% | 18.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 18.9% | 18.4% | 19.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 16.6% | 16.2% | 18.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
More work & labour data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 22,956 (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 60.91 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 35,770 (2027)
- Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) 4.93 (2027)
- Labour dependency ratio 1.07 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP 111,361 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2015 US $ 100,223 (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 57.91 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 1.47 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate 0.4352 % change on previous year (2027)
All data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland →
Frequently asked questions
- What is self-employed, male (% of male employment) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Self-employed, male (% of male employment) in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 16.2% 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 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 19.5% in 2014.
- What is the lowest self-employed, male (% of male employment) recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.2% in 2025.
- How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for self-employed, male (% of male employment)?
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 157th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is self-employed, male (% of male employment) rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 15.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 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.