Self-employed persons by occupation in Norway

Norway: Self-employed persons by occupation was 151.6 Thousand persons in 2025. ▼ Falling

Latest (2025)
151.6 Thousand persons
Change on year
up 9.2%
World rank
26th
of 36 countries
All-time high
196 Thousand persons
in 2009
All-time low
120.3 Thousand persons
in 2021
Years of data
31
1995–2025

Self-employed persons by occupation in Norway, 1995–2025

0501001502001995201020251995: 173.1 Thousand persons1996: 165.5 Thousand persons1997: 169.5 Thousand persons1998: 173.4 Thousand persons1999: 164.5 Thousand persons2000: 162 Thousand persons2001: 156.1 Thousand persons2002: 158.2 Thousand persons2003: 159 Thousand persons2004: 163.7 Thousand persons2005: 163.2 Thousand persons2006: 190.7 Thousand persons2007: 188.2 Thousand persons2008: 188.5 Thousand persons2009: 196 Thousand persons2010: 187.9 Thousand persons2011: 174.2 Thousand persons2012: 174.8 Thousand persons2013: 176.3 Thousand persons2014: 185.1 Thousand persons2015: 180.5 Thousand persons2016: 178.8 Thousand persons2017: 170.1 Thousand persons2018: 170.1 Thousand persons2019: 172 Thousand persons2020: 161.5 Thousand persons2021: 120.3 Thousand persons2022: 124.9 Thousand persons2023: 126.3 Thousand persons2024: 138.8 Thousand persons2025: 151.6 Thousand persons

Source: Eurostat. Measured in Thousand persons.

Analysis

The most recent figure for self-employed persons by occupation in Norway is 151.6 Thousand persons, measured in 2025.

That represents a change of up 9.2% on the previous year and down 16.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, self-employed persons by occupation in Norway peaked at 196 Thousand persons in 2009 and was at its lowest, 120.3 Thousand persons, in 2021.

Norway ranks 26th of 36 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.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 169.2 Thousand persons 164.5 Thousand persons 173.4 Thousand persons 5
2000s 172.56 Thousand persons 156.1 Thousand persons 196 Thousand persons 10
2010s 176.98 Thousand persons 170.1 Thousand persons 187.9 Thousand persons 10
2020s 137.23 Thousand persons 120.3 Thousand persons 161.5 Thousand persons 6

Countries ranked near Norway

  1. 23 Croatia 211.6 Thousand persons compare
  2. 24 Denmark 207.4 Thousand persons compare
  3. 25 Lithuania 158.5 Thousand persons compare
  4. 27 Bosnia and Herzegovina 140.3 Thousand persons compare
  5. 28 Latvia 121.5 Thousand persons compare
  6. 29 Slovenia 120.2 Thousand persons compare

See the full ranking of 38 places →

More work & labour data for Norway

All data for Norway →

Frequently asked questions

What is self-employed persons by occupation in Norway?
Self-employed persons by occupation in Norway was 151.6 Thousand persons in 2025, according to Eurostat.
What is the highest self-employed persons by occupation recorded in Norway?
The highest recorded value was 196 Thousand persons in 2009.
What is the lowest self-employed persons by occupation recorded in Norway?
The lowest recorded value was 120.3 Thousand persons in 2021.
How does Norway rank for self-employed persons by occupation?
Norway ranks 26th out of 36 countries with data for 2025.
Is self-employed persons by occupation rising or falling in Norway?
Over the last ten years it is down 16.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Norway data come from?
The figures come from Eurostat, published as part of Self-employed persons by occupation. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Self-employed persons by occupation
Unit
Thousand persons
Source
Eurostat
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Eurostat)
Coverage
38 places, 1,169 data points, 1983–2025
Last refreshed