Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Canada
Canada: Self-employed, total (% of total employment) was 12.9% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Canada, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Canada stood at 12.9%. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.
The figure is down 0.9% on the previous year and down 13.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Canada peaked at 17.2% in 1998 and was at its lowest, 12.9%, in 2025.
Canada ranks 155th of 186 countries 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 Canada, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 14.7% | — |
| 1992 | 15.1% | +2.7% |
| 1993 | 15.7% | +3.8% |
| 1994 | 15.5% | -1.2% |
| 1995 | 15.7% | +0.9% |
| 1996 | 16.2% | +3.4% |
| 1997 | 17.1% | +5.5% |
| 1998 | 17.2% | +0.5% |
| 1999 | 17.0% | -1.3% |
| 2000 | 16.1% | -4.8% |
| 2001 | 15.3% | -5.4% |
| 2002 | 15.2% | -0.4% |
| 2003 | 15.4% | +1.3% |
| 2004 | 15.4% | +0.2% |
| 2005 | 15.6% | +1.2% |
| 2006 | 15.3% | -1.8% |
| 2007 | 15.4% | +0.4% |
| 2008 | 15.4% | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 15.9% | +3.4% |
| 2010 | 15.5% | -2.4% |
| 2011 | 15.3% | -1.3% |
| 2012 | 15.2% | -0.9% |
| 2013 | 15.2% | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 15.0% | -1.3% |
| 2015 | 15.0% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 14.9% | -0.3% |
| 2017 | 14.9% | -0.5% |
| 2018 | 15.1% | +1.4% |
| 2019 | 14.8% | -1.8% |
| 2020 | 15.2% | +2.5% |
| 2021 | 14.0% | -7.6% |
| 2022 | 13.5% | -3.8% |
| 2023 | 13.2% | -2.1% |
| 2024 | 13.0% | -1.2% |
| 2025 | 12.9% | -0.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 16.0% | 14.7% | 17.2% | 9 |
| 2000s | 15.5% | 15.2% | 16.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 15.1% | 14.8% | 15.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 13.6% | 12.9% | 15.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Canada
More work & labour data for Canada
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.3281 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.3334 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.3231 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.29 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.6552 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 39,234 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 5,715 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 26,798 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 26,814 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 53,612 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Canada?
- Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Canada was 12.9% 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 Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 17.2% in 1998.
- What is the lowest self-employed, total (% of total employment) recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.9% in 2025.
- How does Canada rank for self-employed, total (% of total employment)?
- Canada ranks 155th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is self-employed, total (% of total employment) rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Canada 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.
Download this data
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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.