Self-employed persons by economic activity (NACE Rev. 2) (2008-2026) - quarterly data by country
Countries reporting
45
Highest
6,484 Thousand persons
Türkiye
Lowest
24.6 Thousand persons
Iceland
Median
400.5 Thousand persons
Years covered
19
2008–2026
Data points
853
What the numbers show
Self-employed persons by economic activity (NACE Rev. 2) (2008-2026) - quarterly data is currently reported for 45 countries. The highest value is 6,484 Thousand persons in Türkiye; the lowest is 24.6 Thousand persons in Iceland.
The median across all reporting countries is 400.5 Thousand persons, and the mean is 1,131 Thousand persons.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 264.
Over the past decade 31 countries rose and 12 fell. The largest increase was in Malta (up 45.6%), and the largest decrease in Romania (down 43.3%).
Self-employed persons by economic activity (NACE Rev. 2) (2008-2026): full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Türkiye | 6,484 Thousand persons | 2026 | up 14.1% | rising |
| 2 | Italy | 5,059 Thousand persons | 2026 | up 0.3% | falling |
| 3 | United Kingdom | 4,380 Thousand persons | 2020 | up 10.3% | rising |
| 3 | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | 4,380 Thousand persons | 2020 | up 10.3% | rising |
| 5 | France | 3,902 Thousand persons | 2026 | up 30.0% | rising |
| 6 | Germany | 3,295 Thousand persons | 2026 | down 18.5% | falling |
| 7 | Poland | 3,182 Thousand persons | 2026 | up 9.0% | rising |
| 7 | Poland | 3,182 Thousand persons | 2026 | up 9.0% | rising |
| 9 | Spain | 3,139 Thousand persons | 2026 | up 3.9% | flat |
| 10 | Netherlands | 1,460 Thousand persons | 2026 | up 4.6% | rising |
| 10 | Netherlands | 1,460 Thousand persons | 2026 | up 4.6% | rising |
| 12 | Greece | 1,091 Thousand persons | 2026 | down 0.9% | falling |
| 13 | Romania | 821 Thousand persons | 2026 | down 43.3% | falling |
| 14 | Czechia | 815.7 Thousand persons | 2026 | down 6.3% | flat |
| 15 | Portugal | 777.4 Thousand persons | 2026 | up 6.4% | falling |
| 16 | Belgium | 761.7 Thousand persons | 2026 | up 18.6% | rising |
| 17 | Switzerland | 668.6 Thousand persons | 2026 | up 15.4% | rising |
| 18 | Hungary | 537.3 Thousand persons | 2026 | up 19.3% | rising |
| 19 | Austria | 503.7 Thousand persons | 2026 | up 9.3% | rising |
| 20 | Sweden | 480.3 Thousand persons | 2026 | down 0.9% | flat |
| 21 | Serbia | 460.5 Thousand persons | 2026 | down 25.7% | falling |
| 22 | Bulgaria | 408 Thousand persons | 2026 | up 25.1% | flat |
| 23 | Slovakia | 400.5 Thousand persons | 2026 | up 1.4% | rising |
| 23 | Slovakia | 400.5 Thousand persons | 2026 | up 1.4% | rising |
| 25 | Ireland | 363 Thousand persons | 2026 | up 13.0% | rising |
| 26 | Finland | 306.3 Thousand persons | 2026 | down 4.6% | flat |
| 27 | Croatia | 224.2 Thousand persons | 2026 | up 20.2% | falling |
| 27 | Croatia | 224.2 Thousand persons | 2026 | up 20.2% | falling |
| 29 | Denmark | 203.1 Thousand persons | 2026 | down 12.2% | falling |
| 30 | Lithuania | 170.9 Thousand persons | 2026 | up 14.7% | rising |
| 30 | Lithuania | 170.9 Thousand persons | 2026 | up 14.7% | rising |
| 32 | Norway | 142.7 Thousand persons | 2026 | down 17.6% | falling |
| 33 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 134.9 Thousand persons | 2026 | down 8.7% | falling |
| 34 | Latvia | 118 Thousand persons | 2026 | unchanged | rising |
| 34 | Latvia | 118 Thousand persons | 2026 | unchanged | rising |
| 36 | Slovenia | 113 Thousand persons | 2026 | up 5.4% | flat |
| 36 | Slovenia | 113 Thousand persons | 2026 | up 5.4% | flat |
| 38 | North Macedonia | 100.8 Thousand persons | 2026 | down 20.4% | falling |
| 39 | Estonia | 76.4 Thousand persons | 2026 | up 35.0% | rising |
| 39 | Estonia | 76.4 Thousand persons | 2026 | up 35.0% | rising |
| 41 | Cyprus | 47.7 Thousand persons | 2026 | up 5.8% | falling |
| 42 | Malta | 43.1 Thousand persons | 2026 | up 45.6% | rising |
| 43 | Montenegro | 35.3 Thousand persons | 2020 | up 18.5% | rising |
| 44 | Luxembourg | 25.1 Thousand persons | 2026 | down 0.4% | rising |
| 45 | Iceland | 24.6 Thousand persons | 2025 | up 10.3% | rising |
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) 28,149 Thousand persons
- Euro area – 21 countries (from 2026) 22,148 Thousand persons