Self-employed, total (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate) by country
Self-employed workers are those workers who, working on their own account or with one or a few partners or in cooperative, hold the type of jobs defined as a "self-employment jobs." i.e. jobs where the remuneration is directly dependent upon the profits derived from the goods and services produced. Self-employed...
Countries reporting
186
Highest
91.6%
Chad
Lowest
0.8%
Qatar
Median
31.8%
Years covered
35
1991–2025
Data points
8,176
What the numbers show
Self-employed, total (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate) is currently reported for 186 countries. The highest value is 91.6% in Chad; the lowest is 0.8% in Qatar.
The median across all reporting countries is 31.8%, and the mean is 38.7%.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 110.
Over the past decade 40 countries rose and 146 fell. The largest increase was in Kuwait (up 173.6%), and the largest decrease in North Macedonia (down 36.4%).
Self-employed, total (% of total employment): full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chad | 91.6% | 2025 | up 0.8% | falling |
| 2 | Niger | 89.5% | 2025 | down 1.9% | rising |
| 3 | Sierra Leone | 88.8% | 2025 | down 0.4% | falling |
| 4 | Madagascar | 88.3% | 2025 | down 1.2% | rising |
| 5 | Nigeria | 86.2% | 2025 | down 1.5% | falling |
| 6 | Central African Republic | 85.4% | 2025 | down 0.2% | flat |
| 7 | Tanzania, United Republic of | 85.3% | 2025 | down 2.2% | falling |
| 8 | Mozambique | 85.3% | 2025 | down 1.2% | falling |
| 9 | Congo, Democratic Republic of the | 85.1% | 2025 | up 1.8% | flat |
| 10 | Burundi | 84.9% | 2025 | down 2.4% | flat |
| 11 | Ethiopia | 84.3% | 2025 | down 3.3% | falling |
| 12 | Afghanistan | 83.4% | 2025 | down 2.6% | falling |
| 13 | Burkina Faso | 82.6% | 2025 | down 0.3% | flat |
| 14 | South Sudan | 82.5% | 2023 | down 3.1% | flat |
| 15 | Guinea | 81.9% | 2025 | down 4.2% | falling |
| 16 | Uganda | 80.5% | 2025 | up 2.6% | falling |
| 17 | Benin | 79.8% | 2025 | down 4.8% | falling |
| 18 | Papua New Guinea | 78.7% | 2025 | down 1.7% | flat |
| 19 | Nepal | 78.6% | 2025 | down 3.1% | falling |
| 20 | Liberia | 78.3% | 2025 | down 0.8% | flat |
| 21 | Lao People's Democratic Republic | 77.1% | 2025 | down 4.4% | falling |
| 22 | Haiti | 76.8% | 2025 | up 2.6% | flat |
| 23 | Congo | 76.8% | 2025 | up 0.6% | flat |
| 24 | Togo | 76.6% | 2025 | down 6.0% | falling |
| 25 | Mali | 76.4% | 2025 | down 7.2% | falling |
| 26 | Angola | 75.9% | 2025 | up 1.8% | falling |
| 27 | Guinea-Bissau | 75.5% | 2025 | down 1.7% | flat |
| 28 | India | 74.9% | 2025 | down 5.8% | falling |
| 29 | Timor-Leste | 74.9% | 2025 | down 0.6% | falling |
| 30 | Zambia | 71.7% | 2025 | down 4.3% | falling |
| 31 | Côte d'Ivoire | 71.0% | 2025 | down 5.2% | falling |
| 32 | Zimbabwe | 70.8% | 2025 | down 1.0% | rising |
| 33 | Solomon Islands | 69.9% | 2025 | down 0.8% | falling |
| 34 | Bhutan | 69.5% | 2025 | down 4.7% | falling |
| 35 | Cameroon | 69.3% | 2025 | down 9.4% | falling |
| 36 | Gambia | 68.6% | 2025 | down 6.9% | falling |
| 37 | Ghana | 67.5% | 2025 | down 11.7% | falling |
| 38 | Azerbaijan | 67.0% | 2025 | down 1.1% | flat |
| 39 | Bolivia, Plurinational State of | 66.3% | 2025 | down 7.6% | falling |
| 40 | Myanmar | 65.5% | 2025 | down 1.3% | falling |
| 41 | Kenya | 64.8% | 2025 | up 2.6% | falling |
| 42 | Senegal | 64.3% | 2025 | down 3.5% | flat |
| 43 | Korea, Democratic People's Republic of | 62.1% | 2025 | up 0.8% | flat |
| 44 | Malawi | 61.3% | 2025 | down 1.5% | falling |
| 45 | Bangladesh | 61.0% | 2025 | down 0.2% | falling |
| 46 | Vanuatu | 60.6% | 2025 | down 7.1% | falling |
| 47 | Republic of Moldova | 58.8% | 2025 | down 3.4% | rising |
| 48 | Comoros | 57.9% | 2025 | down 1.1% | falling |
| 49 | Mauritania | 57.4% | 2025 | down 1.3% | flat |
| 50 | Pakistan | 57.0% | 2025 | down 5.9% | falling |
| 51 | Cambodia | 55.5% | 2025 | down 4.5% | falling |
| 52 | Viet Nam | 53.3% | 2025 | down 12.1% | falling |
| 53 | Indonesia | 53.3% | 2025 | up 3.6% | falling |
| 54 | Yemen | 52.6% | 2025 | up 4.7% | flat |
| 55 | Eritrea | 52.4% | 2025 | down 1.6% | flat |
| 56 | Ecuador | 52.3% | 2025 | up 9.5% | flat |
| 57 | Somalia | 52.2% | 2025 | down 1.4% | falling |
| 58 | Peru | 51.3% | 2025 | down 6.0% | falling |
| 59 | Djibouti | 51.1% | 2025 | down 3.3% | falling |
| 60 | Thailand | 50.7% | 2025 | down 1.7% | falling |
| 61 | Albania | 50.3% | 2025 | down 14.5% | falling |
| 62 | Sudan | 46.5% | 2022 | down 0.4% | falling |
| 63 | Georgia | 46.1% | 2025 | down 14.9% | falling |
| 64 | Colombia | 45.6% | 2025 | down 3.9% | rising |
| 65 | Uzbekistan | 45.4% | 2025 | down 3.6% | falling |
| 66 | Samoa | 44.5% | 2025 | down 2.7% | falling |
| 67 | Nicaragua | 44.3% | 2025 | down 3.2% | flat |
| 68 | Honduras | 44.1% | 2025 | down 3.9% | falling |
| 69 | Sao Tome and Principe | 44.0% | 2025 | down 1.3% | falling |
| 70 | Iran, Islamic Republic of | 42.9% | 2025 | down 3.5% | falling |
| 71 | Syrian Arab Republic | 42.4% | 2025 | up 0.6% | falling |
| 72 | Dominican Republic | 42.1% | 2025 | down 6.5% | flat |
| 73 | Sri Lanka | 42.1% | 2025 | down 4.1% | falling |
| 74 | Tonga | 41.8% | 2025 | down 21.2% | falling |
| 75 | Paraguay | 41.3% | 2025 | down 5.7% | falling |
| 76 | Mongolia | 41.2% | 2025 | down 14.6% | falling |
| 77 | Panama | 40.6% | 2025 | up 13.3% | rising |
| 78 | Rwanda | 40.4% | 2025 | down 7.8% | falling |
| 79 | Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of | 40.4% | 2025 | up 15.4% | flat |
| 80 | Morocco | 40.1% | 2025 | down 5.6% | falling |
| 81 | Guatemala | 39.1% | 2025 | down 1.5% | flat |
| 82 | Lesotho | 38.5% | 2025 | down 1.8% | falling |
| 83 | Cape Verde | 38.5% | 2025 | down 4.4% | falling |
| 84 | China | 37.7% | 2025 | down 9.3% | falling |
| 85 | Namibia | 36.5% | 2025 | up 14.7% | falling |
| 86 | Philippines | 36.1% | 2025 | down 6.1% | falling |
| 87 | Jamaica | 35.7% | 2025 | down 10.9% | falling |
| 88 | El Salvador | 35.7% | 2025 | down 11.8% | falling |
| 89 | Belize | 35.2% | 2025 | up 8.3% | flat |
| 90 | Fiji | 34.1% | 2025 | down 13.0% | falling |
| 91 | Armenia | 33.7% | 2025 | down 24.9% | falling |
| 92 | Gabon | 32.4% | 2025 | down 3.1% | falling |
| 93 | Turkmenistan | 32.0% | 2025 | down 7.9% | falling |
| 94 | Iraq | 31.7% | 2025 | down 0.7% | falling |
| 95 | Tajikistan | 31.3% | 2025 | down 7.4% | flat |
| 96 | Guyana | 31.1% | 2025 | down 12.7% | falling |
| 97 | Mexico | 30.8% | 2025 | up 1.5% | falling |
| 98 | Kyrgyzstan | 30.5% | 2025 | down 23.8% | falling |
| 99 | Greece | 30.5% | 2025 | down 13.2% | falling |
| 100 | Brazil | 30.3% | 2025 | down 0.8% | falling |
| 101 | Eswatini | 30.2% | 2025 | down 16.1% | falling |
| 102 | Algeria | 30.2% | 2025 | down 3.8% | falling |
| 103 | Türkiye | 28.5% | 2025 | down 14.6% | falling |
| 104 | Lebanon | 28.4% | 2023 | down 2.8% | falling |
| 105 | Botswana | 28.1% | 2025 | down 7.5% | rising |
| 106 | Uruguay | 28.0% | 2025 | up 3.6% | flat |
| 107 | Equatorial Guinea | 27.5% | 2025 | up 9.5% | falling |
| 108 | Serbia | 27.0% | 2025 | down 10.4% | falling |
| 109 | Egypt | 27.0% | 2025 | down 10.5% | falling |
| 110 | Saint Lucia | 26.7% | 2025 | down 6.6% | flat |
| 111 | Costa Rica | 26.6% | 2025 | down 9.7% | falling |
| 112 | Kazakhstan | 26.1% | 2025 | down 3.1% | falling |
| 113 | Libya | 25.9% | 2025 | down 3.8% | rising |
| 114 | Trinidad and Tobago | 25.7% | 2025 | up 15.7% | flat |
| 115 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 25.7% | 2025 | down 2.0% | flat |
| 116 | Argentina | 25.6% | 2025 | up 5.7% | falling |
| 117 | Malaysia | 25.4% | 2025 | down 4.8% | falling |
| 118 | Tunisia | 24.9% | 2025 | down 5.5% | falling |
| 119 | Cuba | 24.9% | 2025 | up 2.0% | rising |
| 120 | Chile | 23.9% | 2025 | up 2.2% | falling |
| 121 | Palestine, State of | 23.8% | 2022 | down 28.2% | falling |
| 122 | Republic of Korea | 22.7% | 2025 | down 12.3% | falling |
| 123 | Suriname | 22.5% | 2025 | down 1.5% | rising |
| 124 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 22.1% | 2025 | down 5.5% | falling |
| 125 | Italy | 21.1% | 2025 | down 13.4% | falling |
| 126 | Ukraine | 21.0% | 2021 | up 1.8% | falling |
| 127 | Maldives | 20.0% | 2025 | down 17.6% | falling |
| 128 | Barbados | 19.5% | 2025 | up 15.1% | rising |
| 129 | Poland | 18.9% | 2025 | down 25.6% | falling |
| 130 | New Zealand | 18.4% | 2025 | down 9.2% | falling |
| 131 | French Polynesia | 18.2% | 2025 | down 4.6% | falling |
| 132 | Mauritius | 17.8% | 2025 | down 12.3% | falling |
| 133 | Montenegro | 17.4% | 2025 | down 16.9% | flat |
| 134 | South Africa | 17.3% | 2025 | up 18.4% | falling |
| 135 | New Caledonia | 17.1% | 2025 | up 20.3% | flat |
| 136 | Bahamas | 17.1% | 2025 | up 14.6% | flat |
| 137 | Switzerland | 16.9% | 2025 | up 12.6% | falling |
| 138 | Netherlands | 16.8% | 2025 | up 12.1% | rising |
| 139 | North Macedonia | 16.6% | 2025 | down 36.4% | falling |
| 140 | Australia | 16.1% | 2025 | down 3.0% | falling |
| 141 | Czechia | 15.7% | 2025 | down 9.3% | rising |
| 142 | Guam | 15.5% | 2025 | down 2.5% | falling |
| 143 | Slovakia | 14.9% | 2025 | down 4.0% | rising |
| 144 | Belgium | 14.6% | 2025 | down 3.9% | falling |
| 145 | Spain | 14.5% | 2025 | down 16.4% | falling |
| 146 | Romania | 14.5% | 2025 | down 30.3% | falling |
| 147 | Portugal | 14.4% | 2025 | down 15.9% | falling |
| 148 | Slovenia | 14.0% | 2025 | down 22.2% | falling |
| 149 | Malta | 13.9% | 2025 | down 4.7% | falling |
| 150 | Latvia | 13.7% | 2025 | down 1.2% | falling |
| 151 | Ireland | 13.4% | 2025 | down 18.8% | falling |
| 152 | Iceland | 13.3% | 2025 | down 20.2% | falling |
| 153 | France | 13.3% | 2025 | up 14.6% | falling |
| 154 | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | 13.1% | 2025 | down 12.2% | rising |
| 155 | Canada | 12.9% | 2025 | down 13.9% | falling |
| 156 | Croatia | 12.7% | 2025 | down 26.8% | falling |
| 157 | Singapore | 12.7% | 2025 | down 9.3% | falling |
| 158 | Puerto Rico | 12.6% | 2025 | up 6.9% | falling |
| 159 | Finland | 12.5% | 2025 | down 12.2% | falling |
| 160 | Austria | 12.2% | 2025 | down 11.7% | falling |
| 161 | Estonia | 12.1% | 2025 | down 2.2% | falling |
| 162 | Bulgaria | 11.8% | 2025 | down 4.0% | falling |
| 163 | Hungary | 11.6% | 2025 | up 5.7% | falling |
| 164 | Lithuania | 11.5% | 2025 | down 6.3% | falling |
| 165 | Israel | 11.3% | 2025 | down 5.4% | falling |
| 166 | Jordan | 11.2% | 2025 | down 24.8% | falling |
| 167 | Luxembourg | 10.3% | 2025 | down 7.8% | rising |
| 168 | Sweden | 10.2% | 2025 | down 7.4% | falling |
| 169 | Cyprus | 10.2% | 2025 | down 31.9% | falling |
| 170 | United States Virgin Islands | 9.1% | 2025 | up 7.4% | rising |
| 171 | Japan | 9.1% | 2025 | down 16.7% | falling |
| 172 | Germany | 8.1% | 2025 | down 23.9% | falling |
| 173 | Denmark | 7.9% | 2025 | down 10.8% | falling |
| 174 | Hong Kong, China | 7.7% | 2025 | down 13.8% | falling |
| 175 | Brunei Darussalam | 7.3% | 2025 | down 18.9% | falling |
| 176 | Belarus | 6.8% | 2025 | down 13.2% | falling |
| 177 | Macau, China | 6.8% | 2025 | up 0.8% | falling |
| 178 | Russian Federation | 6.3% | 2025 | down 12.9% | rising |
| 179 | United States of America | 6.1% | 2025 | down 11.9% | falling |
| 180 | Saudi Arabia | 5.5% | 2025 | up 68.3% | falling |
| 181 | United Arab Emirates | 5.1% | 2025 | up 42.1% | rising |
| 182 | Oman | 5.0% | 2025 | up 4.4% | falling |
| 183 | Norway | 4.9% | 2025 | down 18.0% | falling |
| 184 | Kuwait | 3.2% | 2025 | up 173.6% | falling |
| 185 | Bahrain | 2.4% | 2025 | down 8.9% | falling |
| 186 | Qatar | 0.8% | 2025 | up 60.3% | falling |
Regions and income groups
Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.
- Africa Western and Central 81.4%
- European Union 14.2%
- Pre-demographic dividend 79.7%
- Euro area 13.9%
- Heavily indebted poor countries (HIPC) 79.0%
- Chagai 8.6%
- Low income 78.9%
- Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) 77.7%
- Sub-Saharan Africa 77.7%
- Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) 77.7%
- Least developed countries 75.7%
- Africa Eastern and Southern 74.7%
- IDA only 73.4%
- South Asia 73.1%
- South Asia (IDA & IBRD) 73.1%
- IDA total 72.6%
- IDA blend 71.2%
- Lower middle income 70.4%
- Early-demographic dividend 59.4%
- Low & middle income 55.0%
- Pacific island small states 53.5%
- IDA & IBRD total 53.3%
- Middle income 52.7%
- IBRD only 47.1%
- World 46.4%
- Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) 45.4%
- Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (IDA & IBRD) 45.4%
- East Asia & Pacific (excluding high income) 42.1%
- East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD countries) 41.8%
- East Asia & Pacific 39.0%
- Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan 39.0%
- Upper middle income 38.7%
- Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) 36.2%
- Latin America & the Caribbean (IDA & IBRD countries) 35.9%
- Latin America & Caribbean 35.6%
- Late-demographic dividend 35.5%
- Europe & Central Asia (excluding high income) 33.2%
- Small states 32.5%
- Other small states 30.8%
- Arab World 25.5%
About this data
Self-employed workers are those workers who, working on their own account or with one or a few partners or in cooperative, hold the type of jobs defined as a "self-employment jobs." i.e. jobs where the remuneration is directly dependent upon the profits derived from the goods and services produced. Self-employed workers include sub-categories of employers, own-account workers and members of producers' cooperatives and contributing family workers.