Self-employed persons by occupation in United Kingdom

United Kingdom: Self-employed persons by occupation was 4,881 Thousand persons in 2019. ▲ Rising

Latest (2019)
4,881 Thousand persons
Change on year
up 4.2%
World rank
3rd
of 36 countries
All-time high
4,881 Thousand persons
in 2019
All-time low
2,362 Thousand persons
in 1983
Years of data
37
1983–2019

Self-employed persons by occupation in United Kingdom, 1983–2019

01.0k2.0k3.0k4.0k5.0k1983200120191983: 2.4k Thousand persons1984: 2.7k Thousand persons1985: 2.8k Thousand persons1986: 2.8k Thousand persons1987: 3.1k Thousand persons1988: 3.2k Thousand persons1989: 3.5k Thousand persons1990: 3.5k Thousand persons1991: 3.4k Thousand persons1992: 3.2k Thousand persons1993: 3.2k Thousand persons1994: 3.3k Thousand persons1995: 3.3k Thousand persons1996: 3.3k Thousand persons1997: 3.3k Thousand persons1998: 3.3k Thousand persons1999: 3.3k Thousand persons2000: 3.2k Thousand persons2001: 3.2k Thousand persons2002: 3.3k Thousand persons2003: 3.5k Thousand persons2004: 3.6k Thousand persons2005: 3.6k Thousand persons2006: 3.7k Thousand persons2007: 3.8k Thousand persons2008: 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

The most recent figure for self-employed persons by occupation in United Kingdom is 4,881 Thousand persons, measured in 2019. That is the highest value across all 37 years on record.

The figure is up 4.2% on the previous year and up 27.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, self-employed persons by occupation in United Kingdom peaked at 4,881 Thousand persons in 2019 and was at its lowest, 2,362 Thousand persons, in 1983.

United Kingdom ranks 3rd of 36 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 37 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 2,907 Thousand persons 2,362 Thousand persons 3,485 Thousand persons 7
1990s 3,300 Thousand persons 3,164 Thousand persons 3,532 Thousand persons 10
2000s 3,556 Thousand persons 3,211 Thousand persons 3,835 Thousand persons 10
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. 4 France 3,865 Thousand persons compare
  4. 5 Germany 3,393 Thousand persons compare
  5. 6 Spain 3,195 Thousand persons compare

See the full ranking of 38 places →

More work & labour data for United Kingdom

All data for United Kingdom →

Frequently asked questions

What is self-employed persons by occupation in United Kingdom?
Self-employed persons by occupation in United Kingdom was 4,881 Thousand persons in 2019, according to Eurostat.
What is the highest self-employed persons by occupation recorded in United Kingdom?
The highest recorded value was 4,881 Thousand persons in 2019.
What is the lowest self-employed persons by occupation recorded in United Kingdom?
The lowest recorded value was 2,362 Thousand persons in 1983.
How does United Kingdom rank for self-employed persons by occupation?
United Kingdom ranks 3rd out of 36 countries with data for 2019.
Is self-employed persons by occupation 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 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