Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Laos
Laos: Self-employed, total (% of total employment) was 77.1% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Laos, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Laos stood at 77.1%. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.3% on the previous year and down 4.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Laos peaked at 91.9% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 77.1%, in 2025.
Laos ranks 21st 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 Laos, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 91.9% | — |
| 1992 | 91.6% | -0.3% |
| 1993 | 91.3% | -0.3% |
| 1994 | 91.0% | -0.4% |
| 1995 | 90.6% | -0.4% |
| 1996 | 90.1% | -0.5% |
| 1997 | 89.7% | -0.5% |
| 1998 | 89.2% | -0.6% |
| 1999 | 88.7% | -0.6% |
| 2000 | 88.2% | -0.6% |
| 2001 | 87.7% | -0.6% |
| 2002 | 87.1% | -0.6% |
| 2003 | 86.6% | -0.6% |
| 2004 | 86.1% | -0.6% |
| 2005 | 85.6% | -0.6% |
| 2006 | 85.0% | -0.6% |
| 2007 | 84.6% | -0.5% |
| 2008 | 84.1% | -0.5% |
| 2009 | 83.7% | -0.6% |
| 2010 | 83.1% | -0.6% |
| 2011 | 82.6% | -0.6% |
| 2012 | 82.1% | -0.6% |
| 2013 | 81.6% | -0.6% |
| 2014 | 81.1% | -0.6% |
| 2015 | 80.7% | -0.6% |
| 2016 | 80.2% | -0.6% |
| 2017 | 79.7% | -0.6% |
| 2018 | 79.3% | -0.6% |
| 2019 | 78.8% | -0.5% |
| 2020 | 78.6% | -0.3% |
| 2021 | 78.2% | -0.5% |
| 2022 | 77.9% | -0.3% |
| 2023 | 77.7% | -0.3% |
| 2024 | 77.4% | -0.3% |
| 2025 | 77.1% | -0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 90.5% | 88.7% | 91.9% | 9 |
| 2000s | 85.9% | 83.7% | 88.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 80.9% | 78.8% | 83.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 77.8% | 77.1% | 78.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Laos
More work & labour data for Laos
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 1,934 (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 66.2 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 3,788 (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 65.37 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 1.63 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate 1.83 % change on previous year (2027)
- Legislation on sexual harassment in employment 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Criminal sanctions or compensation for workplace sexual harassment 0 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Women can take the same jobs as men 1 (1=yes; 0=no) (2023)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 66.1% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Laos?
- Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Laos was 77.1% 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 Laos?
- The highest recorded value was 91.9% in 1991.
- What is the lowest self-employed, total (% of total employment) recorded in Laos?
- The lowest recorded value was 77.1% in 2025.
- How does Laos rank for self-employed, total (% of total employment)?
- Laos ranks 21st out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is self-employed, total (% of total employment) rising or falling in Laos?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Laos 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.