Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in China
China: Self-employed, total (% of total employment) was 37.7% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in China, 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 China is 37.7%, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.
That represents a change of down 1.0% on the previous year and down 9.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, self-employed, total (% of total employment) in China peaked at 57.4% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 37.7%, in 2025.
That places China 84th out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in China, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 57.4% | — |
| 1992 | 56.9% | -1.0% |
| 1993 | 56.2% | -1.1% |
| 1994 | 55.5% | -1.2% |
| 1995 | 54.8% | -1.3% |
| 1996 | 54.1% | -1.2% |
| 1997 | 53.5% | -1.2% |
| 1998 | 52.9% | -1.1% |
| 1999 | 52.3% | -1.1% |
| 2000 | 51.7% | -1.1% |
| 2001 | 51.1% | -1.2% |
| 2002 | 50.5% | -1.3% |
| 2003 | 49.8% | -1.3% |
| 2004 | 49.1% | -1.4% |
| 2005 | 48.4% | -1.5% |
| 2006 | 47.6% | -1.6% |
| 2007 | 46.8% | -1.7% |
| 2008 | 46.0% | -1.7% |
| 2009 | 45.2% | -1.6% |
| 2010 | 44.5% | -1.6% |
| 2011 | 43.8% | -1.5% |
| 2012 | 43.2% | -1.5% |
| 2013 | 42.6% | -1.4% |
| 2014 | 42.0% | -1.3% |
| 2015 | 41.5% | -1.3% |
| 2016 | 41.0% | -1.2% |
| 2017 | 40.5% | -1.2% |
| 2018 | 40.0% | -1.2% |
| 2019 | 39.6% | -1.2% |
| 2020 | 39.5% | -0.1% |
| 2021 | 39.3% | -0.7% |
| 2022 | 38.9% | -1.0% |
| 2023 | 38.4% | -1.0% |
| 2024 | 38.1% | -1.0% |
| 2025 | 37.7% | -1.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 54.9% | 52.3% | 57.4% | 9 |
| 2000s | 48.6% | 45.2% | 51.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 41.9% | 39.6% | 44.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 38.6% | 37.7% | 39.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near China
More work & labour data for China
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -1.65 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -1.74 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -1.57 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -2.11 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate -0.0615 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 1.12 million 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 275,362 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 319,567 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 326,230 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 645,797 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is self-employed, total (% of total employment) in China?
- Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in China was 37.7% 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 China?
- The highest recorded value was 57.4% in 1991.
- What is the lowest self-employed, total (% of total employment) recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 37.7% in 2025.
- How does China rank for self-employed, total (% of total employment)?
- China ranks 84th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is self-employed, total (% of total employment) rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this China 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.