Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Late-demographic dividend
Late-demographic dividend: Self-employed, total (% of total employment) was 35.5% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Late-demographic dividend, 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 Late-demographic dividend is 35.5%, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.9% on the previous year and down 8.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Late-demographic dividend peaked at 50.7% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 35.5%, in 2025.
That places Late-demographic dividend 33rd out of 47 groups 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 Late-demographic dividend, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 50.7% | — |
| 1992 | 50.5% | -0.4% |
| 1993 | 50.2% | -0.7% |
| 1994 | 49.9% | -0.5% |
| 1995 | 49.5% | -0.8% |
| 1996 | 49.0% | -1.0% |
| 1997 | 48.7% | -0.5% |
| 1998 | 48.4% | -0.8% |
| 1999 | 48.0% | -0.9% |
| 2000 | 47.5% | -0.9% |
| 2001 | 46.9% | -1.2% |
| 2002 | 46.4% | -1.1% |
| 2003 | 45.9% | -1.1% |
| 2004 | 45.0% | -1.9% |
| 2005 | 44.4% | -1.3% |
| 2006 | 43.8% | -1.3% |
| 2007 | 43.2% | -1.5% |
| 2008 | 42.5% | -1.6% |
| 2009 | 42.0% | -1.1% |
| 2010 | 41.4% | -1.4% |
| 2011 | 40.9% | -1.2% |
| 2012 | 40.4% | -1.3% |
| 2013 | 40.0% | -1.0% |
| 2014 | 39.3% | -1.7% |
| 2015 | 38.8% | -1.3% |
| 2016 | 38.4% | -1.1% |
| 2017 | 37.9% | -1.1% |
| 2018 | 37.6% | -0.8% |
| 2019 | 37.2% | -1.1% |
| 2020 | 37.3% | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 37.2% | -0.3% |
| 2022 | 36.7% | -1.4% |
| 2023 | 36.2% | -1.1% |
| 2024 | 35.8% | -1.3% |
| 2025 | 35.5% | -0.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 49.4% | 48.0% | 50.7% | 9 |
| 2000s | 44.8% | 42.0% | 47.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 39.2% | 37.2% | 41.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 36.4% | 35.5% | 37.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Late-demographic dividend
More work & labour data for Late-demographic dividend
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 67.1% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 79.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 73.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 57.1% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 80.9% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 71.1% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 64.1% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) 46.1% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) 42.7% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) 49.2% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Late-demographic dividend?
- Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Late-demographic dividend was 35.5% 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 Late-demographic dividend?
- The highest recorded value was 50.7% in 1991.
- What is the lowest self-employed, total (% of total employment) recorded in Late-demographic dividend?
- The lowest recorded value was 35.5% in 2025.
- How does Late-demographic dividend rank for self-employed, total (% of total employment)?
- Late-demographic dividend ranks 33rd out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is self-employed, total (% of total employment) rising or falling in Late-demographic dividend?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Late-demographic dividend 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.