Self-employed persons by occupation in Switzerland
Switzerland: Self-employed persons by occupation was 658.9 Thousand persons in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
658.9 Thousand persons
Change on year
down 1.1%
World rank
17th
of 45 countries
All-time high
666.5 Thousand persons
in 2024
All-time low
547.1 Thousand persons
in 2006
Years of data
30
1996–2025
Self-employed persons by occupation in Switzerland, 1996–2025
Source: Eurostat. Measured in Thousand persons.
Analysis
Switzerland recorded 658.9 Thousand persons for self-employed persons by occupation in 2025.
That represents a change of down 1.1% on the previous year and up 15.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, self-employed persons by occupation in Switzerland peaked at 666.5 Thousand persons in 2024 and was at its lowest, 547.1 Thousand persons, in 2006.
That places Switzerland 17th out of 45 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 30 years of available data.
Self-employed persons by occupation in Switzerland, year by year
| Year | Thousand persons | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 550.4 Thousand persons | — |
| 1997 | 571.9 Thousand persons | +3.9% |
| 1998 | 565.5 Thousand persons | -1.1% |
| 1999 | 577.4 Thousand persons | +2.1% |
| 2000 | 593.9 Thousand persons | +2.9% |
| 2001 | 568.8 Thousand persons | -4.2% |
| 2002 | 564.5 Thousand persons | -0.8% |
| 2003 | 591.7 Thousand persons | +4.8% |
| 2004 | 554.1 Thousand persons | -6.4% |
| 2005 | 550.3 Thousand persons | -0.7% |
| 2006 | 547.1 Thousand persons | -0.6% |
| 2007 | 559.6 Thousand persons | +2.3% |
| 2008 | 578.7 Thousand persons | +3.4% |
| 2009 | 547.3 Thousand persons | -5.4% |
| 2010 | 567.6 Thousand persons | +3.7% |
| 2011 | 560.5 Thousand persons | -1.3% |
| 2012 | 565.5 Thousand persons | +0.9% |
| 2013 | 567.2 Thousand persons | +0.3% |
| 2014 | 578.1 Thousand persons | +1.9% |
| 2015 | 571.7 Thousand persons | -1.1% |
| 2016 | 588.1 Thousand persons | +2.9% |
| 2017 | 578 Thousand persons | -1.7% |
| 2018 | 584.9 Thousand persons | +1.2% |
| 2019 | 576.9 Thousand persons | -1.4% |
| 2020 | 573 Thousand persons | -0.7% |
| 2021 | 605.9 Thousand persons | +5.7% |
| 2022 | 642.7 Thousand persons | +6.1% |
| 2023 | 656.4 Thousand persons | +2.1% |
| 2024 | 666.5 Thousand persons | +1.5% |
| 2025 | 658.9 Thousand persons | -1.1% |
Switzerland compared with similar countries
- Switzerland's 658.9 Thousand persons is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 425.95 Thousand persons, 1.5× the median. (34 countries reporting)
- Switzerland's 658.9 Thousand persons is above the median for high income countries, which is 478.5 Thousand persons, 1.4× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 566.3 Thousand persons | 550.4 Thousand persons | 577.4 Thousand persons | 4 |
| 2000s | 565.6 Thousand persons | 547.1 Thousand persons | 593.9 Thousand persons | 10 |
| 2010s | 573.85 Thousand persons | 560.5 Thousand persons | 588.1 Thousand persons | 10 |
| 2020s | 633.9 Thousand persons | 573 Thousand persons | 666.5 Thousand persons | 6 |
Countries ranked near Switzerland
More work & labour data for Switzerland
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.0651 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.0485 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.0817 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.4 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.6452 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 8,038 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 1,842 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 4,568 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 4,558 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 9,126 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is self-employed persons by occupation in Switzerland?
- Self-employed persons by occupation in Switzerland was 658.9 Thousand persons in 2025, according to Eurostat.
- What is the highest self-employed persons by occupation recorded in Switzerland?
- The highest recorded value was 666.5 Thousand persons in 2024.
- What is the lowest self-employed persons by occupation recorded in Switzerland?
- The lowest recorded value was 547.1 Thousand persons in 2006.
- How does Switzerland rank for self-employed persons by occupation?
- Switzerland ranks 17th out of 45 countries with data for 2025.
- Is self-employed persons by occupation rising or falling in Switzerland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Switzerland 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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