Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Kenya
Kenya: Self-employed, total (% of total employment) was 64.8% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Kenya, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Kenya recorded 64.8% for self-employed, total (% of total employment) in 2025.
The figure is down 0.2% on the previous year and up 2.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Kenya peaked at 67.5% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 62.0%, in 2019.
Kenya ranks 41st of 186 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Kenya, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 67.5% | — |
| 1992 | 67.4% | -0.2% |
| 1993 | 67.4% | -0.0% |
| 1994 | 67.4% | -0.1% |
| 1995 | 67.3% | -0.0% |
| 1996 | 67.2% | -0.2% |
| 1997 | 67.1% | -0.1% |
| 1998 | 67.0% | -0.2% |
| 1999 | 66.8% | -0.2% |
| 2000 | 66.7% | -0.2% |
| 2001 | 66.6% | -0.2% |
| 2002 | 66.5% | -0.1% |
| 2003 | 66.4% | -0.1% |
| 2004 | 66.2% | -0.3% |
| 2005 | 66.0% | -0.3% |
| 2006 | 65.7% | -0.4% |
| 2007 | 65.4% | -0.5% |
| 2008 | 65.1% | -0.4% |
| 2009 | 64.9% | -0.4% |
| 2010 | 64.6% | -0.4% |
| 2011 | 64.3% | -0.5% |
| 2012 | 64.0% | -0.5% |
| 2013 | 63.8% | -0.4% |
| 2014 | 63.5% | -0.5% |
| 2015 | 63.2% | -0.5% |
| 2016 | 62.9% | -0.5% |
| 2017 | 62.6% | -0.5% |
| 2018 | 62.3% | -0.5% |
| 2019 | 62.0% | -0.4% |
| 2020 | 64.4% | +3.8% |
| 2021 | 65.9% | +2.4% |
| 2022 | 65.6% | -0.5% |
| 2023 | 65.3% | -0.5% |
| 2024 | 64.9% | -0.5% |
| 2025 | 64.8% | -0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 67.2% | 66.8% | 67.5% | 9 |
| 2000s | 65.9% | 64.9% | 66.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 63.3% | 62.0% | 64.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 65.1% | 64.4% | 65.9% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
- 38 Azerbaijan 67.0% compare
- 39 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 66.3% compare
- 40 Myanmar 65.5% compare
- 42 Senegal 64.3% compare
- 43 North Korea 62.1% compare
- 44 Malawi 61.3% compare
More work & labour data for Kenya
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.0278 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.0507 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.0073 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate 0.2281 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 2.98 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 44,185 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 51,282 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 53,727 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 50,468 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 104,196 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Kenya?
- Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Kenya was 64.8% 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 Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 67.5% in 1991.
- What is the lowest self-employed, total (% of total employment) recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 62.0% in 2019.
- How does Kenya rank for self-employed, total (% of total employment)?
- Kenya ranks 41st out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is self-employed, total (% of total employment) rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Kenya 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.