Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Ecuador
Ecuador: Self-employed, total (% of total employment) was 52.3% in 2025. ▬ Flat
Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Ecuador, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Ecuador recorded 52.3% for self-employed, total (% of total employment) in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 9.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Ecuador peaked at 54.5% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 45.8%, in 2014.
That places Ecuador 56th out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Ecuador, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 50.0% | — |
| 1992 | 52.7% | +5.5% |
| 1993 | 52.2% | -1.0% |
| 1994 | 51.1% | -2.0% |
| 1995 | 51.1% | -0.1% |
| 1996 | 51.9% | +1.7% |
| 1997 | 50.3% | -3.2% |
| 1998 | 51.3% | +2.2% |
| 1999 | 51.4% | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 51.5% | +0.2% |
| 2001 | 51.5% | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 49.9% | -3.2% |
| 2003 | 48.3% | -3.3% |
| 2004 | 52.1% | +7.9% |
| 2005 | 49.9% | -4.1% |
| 2006 | 49.6% | -0.6% |
| 2007 | 48.6% | -2.0% |
| 2008 | 48.1% | -1.1% |
| 2009 | 48.7% | +1.2% |
| 2010 | 47.9% | -1.6% |
| 2011 | 49.6% | +3.4% |
| 2012 | 49.3% | -0.6% |
| 2013 | 48.1% | -2.5% |
| 2014 | 45.8% | -4.8% |
| 2015 | 47.8% | +4.4% |
| 2016 | 51.6% | +7.9% |
| 2017 | 52.3% | +1.4% |
| 2018 | 52.9% | +1.2% |
| 2019 | 54.2% | +2.4% |
| 2020 | 54.4% | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 54.5% | +0.3% |
| 2022 | 53.5% | -2.0% |
| 2023 | 50.9% | -4.7% |
| 2024 | 52.4% | +2.8% |
| 2025 | 52.3% | -0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 51.3% | 50.0% | 52.7% | 9 |
| 2000s | 49.8% | 48.1% | 52.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 49.9% | 45.8% | 54.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 53.0% | 50.9% | 54.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Ecuador
More work & labour data for Ecuador
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.578 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.567 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.589 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.04 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 1.13 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 17,174 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 5,794 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 9,543 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 9,549 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 19,092 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Ecuador?
- Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Ecuador was 52.3% 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 Ecuador?
- The highest recorded value was 54.5% in 2021.
- What is the lowest self-employed, total (% of total employment) recorded in Ecuador?
- The lowest recorded value was 45.8% in 2014.
- How does Ecuador rank for self-employed, total (% of total employment)?
- Ecuador ranks 56th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is self-employed, total (% of total employment) rising or falling in Ecuador?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Ecuador 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.