Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Iraq
Iraq: Self-employed, total (% of total employment) was 31.7% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Iraq, 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 Iraq is 31.7%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.3% on the previous year and down 0.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Iraq peaked at 38.3% in 1996 and was at its lowest, 28.5%, in 2013.
Iraq ranks 94th of 186 countries on this measure, 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 Iraq, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 37.9% | — |
| 1992 | 37.9% | +0.2% |
| 1993 | 38.0% | +0.2% |
| 1994 | 38.1% | +0.3% |
| 1995 | 38.2% | +0.3% |
| 1996 | 38.3% | +0.1% |
| 1997 | 38.0% | -0.6% |
| 1998 | 37.4% | -1.7% |
| 1999 | 36.6% | -2.0% |
| 2000 | 35.9% | -2.1% |
| 2001 | 35.2% | -1.7% |
| 2002 | 35.0% | -0.7% |
| 2003 | 34.9% | -0.2% |
| 2004 | 35.0% | +0.1% |
| 2005 | 35.0% | +0.1% |
| 2006 | 34.9% | -0.2% |
| 2007 | 34.8% | -0.4% |
| 2008 | 33.8% | -2.7% |
| 2009 | 32.9% | -2.7% |
| 2010 | 32.0% | -2.9% |
| 2011 | 31.0% | -3.1% |
| 2012 | 29.9% | -3.5% |
| 2013 | 28.5% | -4.4% |
| 2014 | 31.7% | +11.0% |
| 2015 | 31.9% | +0.6% |
| 2016 | 31.2% | -2.1% |
| 2017 | 30.1% | -3.5% |
| 2018 | 29.8% | -1.2% |
| 2019 | 31.0% | +4.2% |
| 2020 | 31.4% | +1.2% |
| 2021 | 31.4% | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 31.5% | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 31.6% | +0.1% |
| 2024 | 31.6% | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 31.7% | +0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 37.8% | 36.6% | 38.3% | 9 |
| 2000s | 34.7% | 32.9% | 35.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 30.7% | 28.5% | 32.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 31.5% | 31.4% | 31.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Iraq
More work & labour data for Iraq
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.1891 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.1939 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.1833 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate 0.2038 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 2.31 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 65,560 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 15,931 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 50,009 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 50,640 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 100,649 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Iraq?
- Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Iraq was 31.7% 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 Iraq?
- The highest recorded value was 38.3% in 1996.
- What is the lowest self-employed, total (% of total employment) recorded in Iraq?
- The lowest recorded value was 28.5% in 2013.
- How does Iraq rank for self-employed, total (% of total employment)?
- Iraq ranks 94th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is self-employed, total (% of total employment) rising or falling in Iraq?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Iraq 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.