Self-employed persons by occupation in Portugal
Portugal: Self-employed persons by occupation 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
1,250 Thousand persons
in 1991
All-time low
687.1 Thousand persons
in 2021
Years of data
40
1986–2025
Self-employed persons by occupation in Portugal, 1986–2025
Source: Eurostat. Measured in Thousand persons.
Analysis
Portugal recorded 751.5 Thousand persons for self-employed persons by occupation 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 occupation in Portugal peaked at 1,250 Thousand persons in 1991 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 40 years of available data.
Self-employed persons by occupation in Portugal, year by year
| Year | Thousand persons | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | 1,085 Thousand persons | — |
| 1987 | 1,160 Thousand persons | +6.9% |
| 1988 | 1,168 Thousand persons | +0.7% |
| 1989 | 1,177 Thousand persons | +0.8% |
| 1990 | 1,173 Thousand persons | -0.3% |
| 1991 | 1,250 Thousand persons | +6.5% |
| 1992 | 1,054 Thousand persons | -15.7% |
| 1993 | 1,049 Thousand persons | -0.5% |
| 1994 | 1,092 Thousand persons | +4.1% |
| 1995 | 1,106 Thousand persons | +1.3% |
| 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% |
Portugal compared with similar countries
- Portugal's 751.5 Thousand persons is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 425.95 Thousand persons, 1.8× the median. (34 countries reporting)
- Portugal's 751.5 Thousand persons is above the median for high income countries, which is 478.5 Thousand persons, 1.6× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 1,148 Thousand persons | 1,085 Thousand persons | 1,177 Thousand persons | 4 |
| 1990s | 1,144 Thousand persons | 1,049 Thousand persons | 1,250 Thousand persons | 10 |
| 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
More work & labour data for Portugal
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.0538 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.055 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.0528 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -2.28 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate -0.1795 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 7,134 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 1,861 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 4,504 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 4,250 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 8,754 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is self-employed persons by occupation in Portugal?
- Self-employed persons by occupation in Portugal was 751.5 Thousand persons in 2025, according to Eurostat.
- What is the highest self-employed persons by occupation recorded in Portugal?
- The highest recorded value was 1,250 Thousand persons in 1991.
- What is the lowest self-employed persons by occupation recorded in Portugal?
- The lowest recorded value was 687.1 Thousand persons in 2021.
- How does Portugal rank for self-employed persons by occupation?
- Portugal ranks 15th out of 45 countries with data for 2025.
- Is self-employed persons by occupation 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 occupation. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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