Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Estonia
Estonia: Self-employed, total (% of total employment) was 12.1% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Estonia, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Estonia recorded 12.1% for self-employed, total (% of total employment) in 2025.
That represents a change of down 2.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Estonia peaked at 15.1% in 1993 and was at its lowest, 11.5%, in 1991.
Estonia ranks 161st 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 Estonia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 11.5% | — |
| 1992 | 13.2% | +15.0% |
| 1993 | 15.1% | +14.8% |
| 1994 | 15.1% | -0.4% |
| 1995 | 14.4% | -4.1% |
| 1996 | 14.7% | +1.8% |
| 1997 | 14.4% | -2.1% |
| 1998 | 13.9% | -3.8% |
| 1999 | 13.9% | +0.2% |
| 2000 | 13.4% | -3.8% |
| 2001 | 13.3% | -0.7% |
| 2002 | 13.0% | -2.2% |
| 2003 | 13.1% | +0.8% |
| 2004 | 13.2% | +0.8% |
| 2005 | 12.6% | -4.7% |
| 2006 | 12.2% | -2.6% |
| 2007 | 12.0% | -2.0% |
| 2008 | 11.7% | -2.6% |
| 2009 | 12.1% | +3.8% |
| 2010 | 12.3% | +1.4% |
| 2011 | 12.4% | +0.9% |
| 2012 | 12.5% | +0.7% |
| 2013 | 12.5% | -0.2% |
| 2014 | 12.4% | -0.7% |
| 2015 | 12.3% | -0.4% |
| 2016 | 12.3% | -0.3% |
| 2017 | 12.4% | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 12.2% | -1.2% |
| 2019 | 12.1% | -1.2% |
| 2020 | 12.1% | +0.7% |
| 2021 | 12.0% | -1.2% |
| 2022 | 11.7% | -2.3% |
| 2023 | 11.9% | +1.7% |
| 2024 | 12.1% | +1.2% |
| 2025 | 12.1% | -0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 14.0% | 11.5% | 15.1% | 9 |
| 2000s | 12.6% | 11.7% | 13.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 12.3% | 12.1% | 12.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 12.0% | 11.7% | 12.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Estonia
More work & labour data for Estonia
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.67 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.6763 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.6638 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.77 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate -0.1039 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 885.23 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 259.52 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 417.66 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 407.84 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 825.5 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Estonia?
- Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Estonia was 12.1% 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 Estonia?
- The highest recorded value was 15.1% in 1993.
- What is the lowest self-employed, total (% of total employment) recorded in Estonia?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.5% in 1991.
- How does Estonia rank for self-employed, total (% of total employment)?
- Estonia ranks 161st out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is self-employed, total (% of total employment) rising or falling in Estonia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Estonia 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.