Self-employed persons by citizenship and degree of urbanisation by country
Countries reporting
45
Highest
6,055 Thousand persons
Türkiye
Lowest
24.3 Thousand persons
Iceland
Median
382.8 Thousand persons
Years covered
31
1995–2025
Data points
1,285
What the numbers show
Self-employed persons by citizenship and degree of urbanisation is currently reported for 45 countries. The highest value is 6,055 Thousand persons in Türkiye; the lowest is 24.3 Thousand persons in Iceland.
The median across all reporting countries is 382.8 Thousand persons, and the mean is 1,064 Thousand persons.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 249.
Over the past decade 32 countries rose and 12 fell. The largest increase was in Malta (up 63.7%), and the largest decrease in Romania (down 44.6%).
Self-employed persons by citizenship and degree of urbanisation: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Türkiye | 6,055 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 17.1% | rising |
| 2 | Italy | 4,563 Thousand persons | 2025 | down 5.1% | falling |
| 3 | United Kingdom | 4,482 Thousand persons | 2019 | up 24.0% | rising |
| 3 | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | 4,482 Thousand persons | 2019 | up 24.0% | rising |
| 5 | France | 3,654 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 29.6% | rising |
| 6 | Spain | 3,027 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 4.2% | rising |
| 7 | Poland | 2,966 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 4.7% | flat |
| 7 | Poland | 2,966 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 4.7% | flat |
| 9 | Germany | 2,942 Thousand persons | 2025 | down 22.0% | falling |
| 10 | Netherlands | 1,368 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 9.9% | rising |
| 10 | Netherlands | 1,368 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 9.9% | rising |
| 12 | Greece | 1,021 Thousand persons | 2025 | down 3.7% | falling |
| 13 | Romania | 805 Thousand persons | 2025 | down 44.6% | falling |
| 14 | Czechia | 754.6 Thousand persons | 2025 | down 6.3% | rising |
| 15 | Belgium | 695.1 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 12.2% | rising |
| 16 | Portugal | 666.6 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 6.6% | falling |
| 17 | Switzerland | 593.1 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 15.8% | flat |
| 18 | Hungary | 512.7 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 20.2% | falling |
| 19 | Austria | 464.8 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 4.0% | rising |
| 20 | Sweden | 399.1 Thousand persons | 2025 | down 3.6% | flat |
| 21 | Serbia | 394.4 Thousand persons | 2025 | down 20.7% | falling |
| 22 | Slovakia | 382.8 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 7.0% | rising |
| 22 | Slovakia | 382.8 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 7.0% | rising |
| 24 | Bulgaria | 344.5 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 4.3% | falling |
| 25 | Ireland | 300.4 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 5.4% | rising |
| 26 | Finland | 263.1 Thousand persons | 2025 | down 12.2% | flat |
| 27 | Croatia | 199.4 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 1.1% | falling |
| 27 | Croatia | 199.4 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 1.1% | falling |
| 29 | Denmark | 185.5 Thousand persons | 2025 | down 10.9% | falling |
| 30 | Lithuania | 150.2 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 6.7% | falling |
| 30 | Lithuania | 150.2 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 6.7% | falling |
| 32 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 134.9 Thousand persons | 2025 | — | flat |
| 33 | Norway | 130 Thousand persons | 2025 | down 18.4% | falling |
| 34 | Slovenia | 116.9 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 6.8% | rising |
| 34 | Slovenia | 116.9 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 6.8% | rising |
| 36 | Latvia | 113.4 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 12.7% | rising |
| 36 | Latvia | 113.4 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 12.7% | rising |
| 38 | North Macedonia | 96.3 Thousand persons | 2025 | down 22.1% | falling |
| 39 | Estonia | 70.8 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 26.7% | rising |
| 39 | Estonia | 70.8 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 26.7% | rising |
| 41 | Malta | 42.4 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 63.7% | rising |
| 42 | Cyprus | 41.4 Thousand persons | 2025 | down 8.8% | falling |
| 43 | Montenegro | 39.5 Thousand persons | 2020 | up 39.1% | rising |
| 44 | Luxembourg | 25.4 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 16.0% | rising |
| 45 | Iceland | 24.3 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 20.9% | falling |
Regions and income groups
Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.
- European Union - 27 countries (from 2020) 26,075 Thousand persons
- Euro area – 21 countries (from 2026) 20,452 Thousand persons