Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Guyana
Guyana: Self-employed, total (% of total employment) was 31.1% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Guyana, 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 Guyana is 31.1%, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.
That represents a change of down 1.7% on the previous year and down 12.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Guyana peaked at 39.3% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 31.1%, in 2025.
That places Guyana 96th 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 Guyana, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 39.3% | — |
| 1992 | 39.1% | -0.4% |
| 1993 | 38.9% | -0.7% |
| 1994 | 38.6% | -0.8% |
| 1995 | 38.3% | -0.7% |
| 1996 | 38.0% | -0.7% |
| 1997 | 37.8% | -0.6% |
| 1998 | 37.6% | -0.4% |
| 1999 | 37.5% | -0.3% |
| 2000 | 37.5% | -0.1% |
| 2001 | 37.4% | -0.2% |
| 2002 | 37.3% | -0.2% |
| 2003 | 37.3% | -0.0% |
| 2004 | 37.3% | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 37.3% | +0.1% |
| 2006 | 37.3% | -0.0% |
| 2007 | 37.2% | -0.3% |
| 2008 | 37.1% | -0.4% |
| 2009 | 36.9% | -0.4% |
| 2010 | 36.8% | -0.4% |
| 2011 | 36.6% | -0.5% |
| 2012 | 36.3% | -0.7% |
| 2013 | 36.1% | -0.7% |
| 2014 | 35.9% | -0.6% |
| 2015 | 35.6% | -0.7% |
| 2016 | 35.3% | -0.9% |
| 2017 | 34.9% | -1.1% |
| 2018 | 34.5% | -1.2% |
| 2019 | 34.3% | -0.4% |
| 2020 | 35.3% | +2.7% |
| 2021 | 35.8% | +1.5% |
| 2022 | 34.1% | -4.6% |
| 2023 | 32.6% | -4.5% |
| 2024 | 31.6% | -2.8% |
| 2025 | 31.1% | -1.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 38.4% | 37.5% | 39.3% | 9 |
| 2000s | 37.3% | 36.9% | 37.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 35.6% | 34.3% | 36.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 33.4% | 31.1% | 35.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Guyana
- 93 Turkmenistan 32.0% compare
- 94 Iraq 31.7% compare
- 95 Tajikistan 31.3% compare
- 97 Mexico 30.8% compare
- 98 Kyrgyzstan 30.5% compare
- 99 Greece 30.5% compare
More work & labour data for Guyana
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.4095 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.3957 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.4228 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -0.9077 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.9156 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 295.49 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 526.41 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 455.78 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 433.17 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 888.95 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Guyana?
- Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Guyana was 31.1% 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 Guyana?
- The highest recorded value was 39.3% in 1991.
- What is the lowest self-employed, total (% of total employment) recorded in Guyana?
- The lowest recorded value was 31.1% in 2025.
- How does Guyana rank for self-employed, total (% of total employment)?
- Guyana ranks 96th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is self-employed, total (% of total employment) rising or falling in Guyana?
- Over the last ten years it is down 12.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Guyana 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.