Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Africa Western and Central
Africa Western and Central: Self-employed, total (% of total employment) was 81.4% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Africa Western and Central, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
The most recent figure for self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Africa Western and Central is 81.4%, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.3% on the previous year and down 2.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Africa Western and Central peaked at 90.4% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 81.4%, in 2025.
That places Africa Western and Central 1st out of 47 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Africa Western and Central, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 90.4% | — |
| 1992 | 90.2% | -0.2% |
| 1993 | 90.1% | -0.1% |
| 1994 | 90.0% | -0.1% |
| 1995 | 89.9% | -0.1% |
| 1996 | 89.7% | -0.2% |
| 1997 | 89.6% | -0.2% |
| 1998 | 89.4% | -0.2% |
| 1999 | 89.1% | -0.3% |
| 2000 | 88.8% | -0.3% |
| 2001 | 88.6% | -0.3% |
| 2002 | 88.2% | -0.4% |
| 2003 | 87.8% | -0.5% |
| 2004 | 87.4% | -0.5% |
| 2005 | 87.0% | -0.5% |
| 2006 | 86.6% | -0.5% |
| 2007 | 86.3% | -0.4% |
| 2008 | 85.9% | -0.4% |
| 2009 | 85.6% | -0.4% |
| 2010 | 85.2% | -0.5% |
| 2011 | 84.8% | -0.4% |
| 2012 | 84.6% | -0.3% |
| 2013 | 84.2% | -0.4% |
| 2014 | 83.9% | -0.3% |
| 2015 | 83.6% | -0.4% |
| 2016 | 83.3% | -0.4% |
| 2017 | 83.0% | -0.4% |
| 2018 | 82.6% | -0.4% |
| 2019 | 82.3% | -0.4% |
| 2020 | 83.2% | +1.0% |
| 2021 | 82.4% | -1.0% |
| 2022 | 82.0% | -0.5% |
| 2023 | 81.8% | -0.2% |
| 2024 | 81.6% | -0.3% |
| 2025 | 81.4% | -0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 89.8% | 89.1% | 90.4% | 9 |
| 2000s | 87.2% | 85.6% | 88.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 83.8% | 82.3% | 85.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 82.1% | 81.4% | 83.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Africa Western and Central
- 1 Chad 91.6% compare
- 2 Niger 89.5% compare
- 3 Sierra Leone 88.8% compare
- 4 Madagascar 88.3% compare
More work & labour data for Africa Western and Central
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) 49.9% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 87.9% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 77.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 72.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) 54.5% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 68.5% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 67.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 73.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 78.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) 52.2% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Africa Western and Central?
- Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Africa Western and Central was 81.4% 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 Western and Central?
- The highest recorded value was 90.4% in 1991.
- What is the lowest self-employed, total (% of total employment) recorded in Africa Western and Central?
- The lowest recorded value was 81.4% in 2025.
- How does Africa Western and Central rank for self-employed, total (% of total employment)?
- Africa Western and Central ranks 1st out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is self-employed, total (% of total employment) rising or falling in Africa Western and Central?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Africa Western and Central 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.