Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Africa Eastern and Southern
Africa Eastern and Southern: Self-employed, total (% of total employment) was 74.7% in 2025. ▬ Flat
Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Africa Eastern and Southern, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Africa Eastern and Southern recorded 74.7% for self-employed, total (% of total employment) in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.1% on the previous year and up 1.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Africa Eastern and Southern peaked at 75.1% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 73.3%, in 2015.
That places Africa Eastern and Southern 9th out of 47 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Africa Eastern and Southern, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 73.8% | — |
| 1992 | 74.0% | +0.3% |
| 1993 | 74.1% | +0.1% |
| 1994 | 74.5% | +0.5% |
| 1995 | 74.8% | +0.4% |
| 1996 | 74.7% | -0.1% |
| 1997 | 74.6% | -0.1% |
| 1998 | 74.5% | -0.1% |
| 1999 | 74.5% | -0.0% |
| 2000 | 74.5% | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 74.6% | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 74.6% | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 74.7% | +0.1% |
| 2004 | 74.7% | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 74.8% | +0.1% |
| 2006 | 74.7% | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 74.5% | -0.4% |
| 2008 | 74.3% | -0.2% |
| 2009 | 74.4% | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 74.5% | +0.2% |
| 2011 | 74.4% | -0.1% |
| 2012 | 74.2% | -0.3% |
| 2013 | 74.0% | -0.3% |
| 2014 | 73.6% | -0.5% |
| 2015 | 73.3% | -0.4% |
| 2016 | 73.4% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 73.3% | -0.0% |
| 2018 | 73.3% | -0.0% |
| 2019 | 73.5% | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 74.5% | +1.4% |
| 2021 | 74.6% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 74.4% | -0.3% |
| 2023 | 75.1% | +0.9% |
| 2024 | 74.8% | -0.3% |
| 2025 | 74.7% | -0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 74.4% | 73.8% | 74.8% | 9 |
| 2000s | 74.6% | 74.3% | 74.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 73.7% | 73.3% | 74.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 74.7% | 74.4% | 75.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Africa Eastern and Southern
- 6 Central African Republic 85.4% compare
- 7 Tanzania, United Republic of 85.3% compare
- 8 Mozambique 85.3% compare
- 9 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 85.1% compare
- 10 Burundi 84.9% compare
- 11 Ethiopia 84.3% compare
- 12 Afghanistan 83.4% compare
More work & labour data for Africa Eastern and Southern
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) 48.9% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 86.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 74.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 68.9% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) 52.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 65.5% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 63.7% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 70.4% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 75.4% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) 50.7% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Africa Eastern and Southern was 74.7% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest self-employed, total (% of total employment) recorded in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- The highest recorded value was 75.1% in 2023.
- What is the lowest self-employed, total (% of total employment) recorded in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- The lowest recorded value was 73.3% in 2015.
- How does Africa Eastern and Southern rank for self-employed, total (% of total employment)?
- Africa Eastern and Southern ranks 9th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is self-employed, total (% of total employment) rising or falling in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Africa Eastern and Southern data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Self-employed, total (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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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.