Self-employed persons by economic activity (NACE Rev. 2) in United Kingdom

United Kingdom: Self-employed persons by economic activity (NACE Rev. 2) was 4,881 Thousand persons in 2019. ▲ Rising

Latest (2019)
4,881 Thousand persons
Change on year
up 4.2%
World rank
3rd
of 45 countries
All-time high
4,881 Thousand persons
in 2019
All-time low
3,809 Thousand persons
in 2008
Years of data
12
2008–2019

Self-employed persons by economic activity (NACE Rev. 2) in United Kingdom, 2008–2019

01.0k2.0k3.0k4.0k5.0k2008201320192008: 3.8k Thousand persons2009: 3.8k Thousand persons2010: 3.9k Thousand persons2011: 4.0k Thousand persons2012: 4.2k Thousand persons2013: 4.2k Thousand persons2014: 4.5k Thousand persons2015: 4.5k Thousand persons2016: 4.7k Thousand persons2017: 4.7k Thousand persons2018: 4.7k Thousand persons2019: 4.9k Thousand persons

Source: Eurostat. Measured in Thousand persons.

Analysis

United Kingdom recorded 4,881 Thousand persons for self-employed persons by economic activity (nace rev. 2) in 2019. That is the highest value across all 12 years on record.

That represents a change of up 4.2% on the previous year and up 27.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, self-employed persons by economic activity (nace rev. 2) in United Kingdom peaked at 4,881 Thousand persons in 2019 and was at its lowest, 3,809 Thousand persons, in 2008.

United Kingdom ranks 3rd of 45 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 12 years of available data.

Self-employed persons by economic activity (NACE Rev. 2) in United Kingdom, year by year

Annual values for Self-employed persons by economic activity (NACE Rev. 2) (2008-2026) in United Kingdom, 2008 to 2019.
Year Thousand persons Change
2008 3,809 Thousand persons
2009 3,835 Thousand persons +0.7%
2010 3,941 Thousand persons +2.8%
2011 4,000 Thousand persons +1.5%
2012 4,157 Thousand persons +3.9%
2013 4,201 Thousand persons +1.1%
2014 4,487 Thousand persons +6.8%
2015 4,487 Thousand persons +0.0%
2016 4,692 Thousand persons +4.6%
2017 4,723 Thousand persons +0.7%
2018 4,685 Thousand persons -0.8%
2019 4,881 Thousand persons +4.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 3,822 Thousand persons 3,809 Thousand persons 3,835 Thousand persons 2
2010s 4,425 Thousand persons 3,941 Thousand persons 4,881 Thousand persons 10

Countries ranked near United Kingdom

  1. 1 Türkiye 6,641 Thousand persons compare
  2. 2 Italy 4,943 Thousand persons compare
  3. 3 United Kingdom 4,881 Thousand persons compare
  4. 5 France 3,865 Thousand persons compare
  5. 6 Germany 3,393 Thousand persons compare

See the full ranking of 47 places →

More work & labour data for United Kingdom

All data for United Kingdom →

Frequently asked questions

What is self-employed persons by economic activity (nace rev. 2) in United Kingdom?
Self-employed persons by economic activity (nace rev. 2) in United Kingdom was 4,881 Thousand persons in 2019, according to Eurostat.
What is the highest self-employed persons by economic activity (nace rev. 2) recorded in United Kingdom?
The highest recorded value was 4,881 Thousand persons in 2019.
What is the lowest self-employed persons by economic activity (nace rev. 2) recorded in United Kingdom?
The lowest recorded value was 3,809 Thousand persons in 2008.
How does United Kingdom rank for self-employed persons by economic activity (nace rev. 2)?
United Kingdom ranks 3rd out of 45 countries with data for 2019.
Is self-employed persons by economic activity (nace rev. 2) rising or falling in United Kingdom?
Over the last ten years it is up 27.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this United Kingdom data come from?
The figures come from Eurostat, published as part of Self-employed persons by economic activity (NACE Rev. 2) (2008-2026). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Self-employed persons by economic activity (NACE Rev. 2) in United Kingdom. Statizoid, drawing on Eurostat. Retrieved 01 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/self-employed-persons-by-economic-activity-nace-rev-2-2008-2026/united-kingdom-2/

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About this data

Indicator
Self-employed persons by economic activity (NACE Rev. 2) (2008-2026)
Unit
Thousand persons
Source
Eurostat
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Eurostat)
Coverage
47 places, 811 data points, 2008–2025
Last refreshed