Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Croatia

Croatia: Self-employed, total (% of total employment) was 12.7% in 2025. ▼ Falling

Latest (2025)
12.7%
Change on year
down 2.4%
World rank
156th
of 186 countries
All-time high
28.8%
in 1995
All-time low
12.7%
in 2025
Years of data
35
1991–2025

Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Croatia, 1991–2025

01020301991200820251991: 27.41992: 27.71993: 28.11994: 28.51995: 28.81996: 28.51997: 25.91998: 24.71999: 24.82000: 23.92001: 24.32002: 242003: 23.32004: 22.22005: 21.52006: 20.62007: 19.92008: 19.52009: 19.42010: 19.82011: 19.72012: 18.82013: 17.82014: 17.32015: 17.42016: 16.52017: 15.92018: 15.52019: 15.22020: 14.82021: 14.92022: 14.22023: 13.62024: 13.12025: 12.7

Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).

Analysis

The most recent figure for self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Croatia is 12.7%, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.4% on the previous year and down 26.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Croatia peaked at 28.8% in 1995 and was at its lowest, 12.7%, in 2025.

Croatia ranks 156th 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 Croatia, year by year

Annual values for Self-employed, total (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate) in Croatia, 1991 to 2025.
Year Value Change
1991 27.4%
1992 27.7% +1.2%
1993 28.1% +1.4%
1994 28.5% +1.4%
1995 28.8% +1.0%
1996 28.5% -0.8%
1997 25.9% -9.1%
1998 24.7% -4.9%
1999 24.8% +0.7%
2000 23.9% -3.9%
2001 24.3% +1.6%
2002 24.0% -1.2%
2003 23.3% -2.9%
2004 22.2% -4.6%
2005 21.5% -3.2%
2006 20.6% -4.1%
2007 19.9% -3.5%
2008 19.5% -2.2%
2009 19.4% -0.1%
2010 19.8% +1.6%
2011 19.7% -0.1%
2012 18.8% -4.8%
2013 17.8% -5.4%
2014 17.3% -2.7%
2015 17.4% +0.6%
2016 16.5% -5.4%
2017 15.9% -3.3%
2018 15.5% -2.6%
2019 15.2% -2.1%
2020 14.8% -2.6%
2021 14.9% +0.6%
2022 14.2% -4.5%
2023 13.6% -4.4%
2024 13.1% -3.7%
2025 12.7% -2.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 27.2% 24.7% 28.8% 9
2000s 21.8% 19.4% 24.3% 10
2010s 17.4% 15.2% 19.8% 10
2020s 13.9% 12.7% 14.9% 6

Countries ranked near Croatia

  1. 153 France 13.3% compare
  2. 154 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 13.1% compare
  3. 155 Canada 12.9% compare
  4. 157 Singapore 12.7% compare
  5. 158 Puerto Rico 12.6% compare
  6. 159 Finland 12.5% compare

See the full ranking of 234 places →

More work & labour data for Croatia

All data for Croatia →

Frequently asked questions

What is self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Croatia?
Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Croatia was 12.7% 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 Croatia?
The highest recorded value was 28.8% in 1995.
What is the lowest self-employed, total (% of total employment) recorded in Croatia?
The lowest recorded value was 12.7% in 2025.
How does Croatia rank for self-employed, total (% of total employment)?
Croatia ranks 156th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
Is self-employed, total (% of total employment) rising or falling in Croatia?
Over the last ten years it is down 26.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Croatia 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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Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Croatia. Statizoid, drawing on ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO). Retrieved 02 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/self-employed-total-percent-of-total-employment-modeled-ilo-estimate/croatia/

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About this data

Indicator
Self-employed, total (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate)
Source
ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
234 places, 8,176 data points, 1991–2025
Last refreshed

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.