Self-employed persons by country of birth in Portugal

Portugal: Self-employed persons by country of birth was 751.5 Thousand persons in 2025. ▼ Falling

Latest (2025)
751.5 Thousand persons
Change on year
up 5.0%
World rank
15th
of 45 countries
All-time high
1,247 Thousand persons
in 2002
All-time low
687.1 Thousand persons
in 2021
Years of data
31
1995–2025

Self-employed persons by country of birth in Portugal, 1995–2025

02505007501.0k1.2k1995201020251995: 1.1k Thousand persons1996: 1.2k Thousand persons1997: 1.2k Thousand persons1998: 1.2k Thousand persons1999: 1.2k Thousand persons2000: 1.1k Thousand persons2001: 1.2k Thousand persons2002: 1.2k Thousand persons2003: 1.2k Thousand persons2004: 1.2k Thousand persons2005: 1.2k Thousand persons2006: 1.1k Thousand persons2007: 1.1k Thousand persons2008: 1.1k Thousand persons2009: 1.1k Thousand persons2010: 993 Thousand persons2011: 909.9 Thousand persons2012: 888.3 Thousand persons2013: 862.5 Thousand persons2014: 796.7 Thousand persons2015: 753.8 Thousand persons2016: 736.1 Thousand persons2017: 734.8 Thousand persons2018: 736.9 Thousand persons2019: 764.8 Thousand persons2020: 743.2 Thousand persons2021: 687.1 Thousand persons2022: 694.9 Thousand persons2023: 690.4 Thousand persons2024: 715.9 Thousand persons2025: 751.5 Thousand persons

Source: Eurostat. Measured in Thousand persons.

Analysis

Portugal recorded 751.5 Thousand persons for self-employed persons by country of birth in 2025.

That represents a change of up 5.0% on the previous year and down 0.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, self-employed persons by country of birth in Portugal peaked at 1,247 Thousand persons in 2002 and was at its lowest, 687.1 Thousand persons, in 2021.

Portugal ranks 15th of 45 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 31 years of available data.

Self-employed persons by country of birth in Portugal, year by year

Annual values for Self-employed persons by country of birth in Portugal, 1995 to 2025.
Year Thousand persons Change
1995 1,106 Thousand persons
1996 1,150 Thousand persons +4.0%
1997 1,170 Thousand persons +1.7%
1998 1,222 Thousand persons +4.4%
1999 1,173 Thousand persons -4.1%
2000 1,130 Thousand persons -3.7%
2001 1,241 Thousand persons +9.8%
2002 1,247 Thousand persons +0.5%
2003 1,233 Thousand persons -1.1%
2004 1,179 Thousand persons -4.4%
2005 1,150 Thousand persons -2.4%
2006 1,108 Thousand persons -3.7%
2007 1,119 Thousand persons +1.0%
2008 1,103 Thousand persons -1.4%
2009 1,061 Thousand persons -3.8%
2010 993 Thousand persons -6.4%
2011 909.9 Thousand persons -8.4%
2012 888.3 Thousand persons -2.4%
2013 862.5 Thousand persons -2.9%
2014 796.7 Thousand persons -7.6%
2015 753.8 Thousand persons -5.4%
2016 736.1 Thousand persons -2.3%
2017 734.8 Thousand persons -0.2%
2018 736.9 Thousand persons +0.3%
2019 764.8 Thousand persons +3.8%
2020 743.2 Thousand persons -2.8%
2021 687.1 Thousand persons -7.5%
2022 694.9 Thousand persons +1.1%
2023 690.4 Thousand persons -0.6%
2024 715.9 Thousand persons +3.7%
2025 751.5 Thousand persons +5.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 1,164 Thousand persons 1,106 Thousand persons 1,222 Thousand persons 5
2000s 1,157 Thousand persons 1,061 Thousand persons 1,247 Thousand persons 10
2010s 817.68 Thousand persons 734.8 Thousand persons 993 Thousand persons 10
2020s 713.83 Thousand persons 687.1 Thousand persons 751.5 Thousand persons 6

Countries ranked near Portugal

  1. 12 Greece 1,088 Thousand persons compare
  2. 13 Romania 834.2 Thousand persons compare
  3. 14 Czechia 806.7 Thousand persons compare
  4. 16 Belgium 736.7 Thousand persons compare
  5. 17 Switzerland 658.9 Thousand persons compare
  6. 18 Hungary 557.6 Thousand persons compare

See the full ranking of 47 places →

More work & labour data for Portugal

All data for Portugal →

Frequently asked questions

What is self-employed persons by country of birth in Portugal?
Self-employed persons by country of birth in Portugal was 751.5 Thousand persons in 2025, according to Eurostat.
What is the highest self-employed persons by country of birth recorded in Portugal?
The highest recorded value was 1,247 Thousand persons in 2002.
What is the lowest self-employed persons by country of birth recorded in Portugal?
The lowest recorded value was 687.1 Thousand persons in 2021.
How does Portugal rank for self-employed persons by country of birth?
Portugal ranks 15th out of 45 countries with data for 2025.
Is self-employed persons by country of birth rising or falling in Portugal?
Over the last ten years it is down 0.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Portugal data come from?
The figures come from Eurostat, published as part of Self-employed persons by country of birth. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Self-employed persons by country of birth in Portugal. Statizoid, drawing on Eurostat. Retrieved 31 August 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/self-employed-persons-by-country-of-birth/portugal/

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About this data

Indicator
Self-employed persons by country of birth
Unit
Thousand persons
Source
Eurostat
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Eurostat)
Coverage
47 places, 1,285 data points, 1995–2025
Last refreshed