Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Arab World
Arab World: Self-employed, total (% of total employment) was 25.5% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Arab World, 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 Arab World is 25.5%, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.8% on the previous year and down 10.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Arab World peaked at 38.6% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 25.5%, in 2025.
Arab World ranks 37th of 45 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Arab World, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 38.6% | — |
| 1992 | 38.2% | -0.9% |
| 1993 | 38.1% | -0.3% |
| 1994 | 37.8% | -0.9% |
| 1995 | 37.5% | -0.7% |
| 1996 | 37.0% | -1.5% |
| 1997 | 36.3% | -1.7% |
| 1998 | 36.1% | -0.6% |
| 1999 | 35.4% | -1.9% |
| 2000 | 35.5% | +0.1% |
| 2001 | 34.8% | -1.8% |
| 2002 | 34.8% | -0.0% |
| 2003 | 34.9% | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 34.9% | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 33.6% | -3.9% |
| 2006 | 32.7% | -2.7% |
| 2007 | 33.1% | +1.2% |
| 2008 | 31.9% | -3.5% |
| 2009 | 31.5% | -1.2% |
| 2010 | 30.7% | -2.5% |
| 2011 | 30.5% | -0.9% |
| 2012 | 29.5% | -3.2% |
| 2013 | 29.3% | -0.8% |
| 2014 | 29.3% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 28.4% | -3.0% |
| 2016 | 28.2% | -0.7% |
| 2017 | 28.5% | +1.2% |
| 2018 | 28.5% | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 28.4% | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 28.0% | -1.3% |
| 2021 | 28.1% | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 27.6% | -1.6% |
| 2023 | 25.9% | -6.3% |
| 2024 | 25.7% | -0.7% |
| 2025 | 25.5% | -0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 37.2% | 35.4% | 38.6% | 9 |
| 2000s | 33.8% | 31.5% | 35.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 29.1% | 28.2% | 30.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 26.8% | 25.5% | 28.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Arab World
More work & labour data for Arab World
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 46.1% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) 25.1% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) 39.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) 10.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 20.4% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 73.8% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 48.7% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 19.0% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 30.4% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 70.6% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Arab World?
- Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Arab World was 25.5% 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 Arab World?
- The highest recorded value was 38.6% in 1991.
- What is the lowest self-employed, total (% of total employment) recorded in Arab World?
- The lowest recorded value was 25.5% in 2025.
- How does Arab World rank for self-employed, total (% of total employment)?
- Arab World ranks 37th out of 45 groups with data for 2025.
- Is self-employed, total (% of total employment) rising or falling in Arab World?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Arab World 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.