Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Least developed countries
Least developed countries: Self-employed, total (% of total employment) was 75.7% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Least developed countries, 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 Least developed countries is 75.7%, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.2% on the previous year and up 0.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Least developed countries peaked at 79.3% in 1995 and was at its lowest, 75.2%, in 2019.
That places Least developed countries 8th out of 45 groups with data for 2025, putting it 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 Least developed countries, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 79.2% | — |
| 1992 | 79.2% | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 79.2% | -0.0% |
| 1994 | 79.3% | +0.1% |
| 1995 | 79.3% | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 79.1% | -0.3% |
| 1997 | 78.9% | -0.3% |
| 1998 | 78.7% | -0.2% |
| 1999 | 78.5% | -0.2% |
| 2000 | 78.4% | -0.2% |
| 2001 | 78.2% | -0.2% |
| 2002 | 78.1% | -0.2% |
| 2003 | 78.0% | -0.2% |
| 2004 | 77.8% | -0.2% |
| 2005 | 77.7% | -0.2% |
| 2006 | 77.5% | -0.3% |
| 2007 | 77.2% | -0.3% |
| 2008 | 77.0% | -0.3% |
| 2009 | 76.7% | -0.4% |
| 2010 | 76.4% | -0.4% |
| 2011 | 76.3% | -0.1% |
| 2012 | 76.1% | -0.2% |
| 2013 | 76.0% | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 75.8% | -0.3% |
| 2015 | 75.7% | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 75.6% | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 75.4% | -0.3% |
| 2018 | 75.3% | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 75.2% | -0.1% |
| 2020 | 75.9% | +0.9% |
| 2021 | 75.6% | -0.4% |
| 2022 | 75.3% | -0.3% |
| 2023 | 76.0% | +0.9% |
| 2024 | 75.9% | -0.2% |
| 2025 | 75.7% | -0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 79.0% | 78.5% | 79.3% | 9 |
| 2000s | 77.7% | 76.7% | 78.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 75.8% | 75.2% | 76.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 75.7% | 75.3% | 76.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Least developed countries
- 5 Nigeria 86.2% compare
- 6 Central African Republic 85.4% compare
- 7 Tanzania, United Republic of 85.3% compare
- 8 Mozambique 85.3% compare
- 9 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 85.1% compare
- 10 Burundi 84.9% compare
- 11 Ethiopia 84.3% compare
More work & labour data for Least developed countries
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) 45.1% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 73.8% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 74.8% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 63.5% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) 53.9% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 54.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 52.7% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 65.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 76.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) 49.5% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Least developed countries?
- Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Least developed countries was 75.7% 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 Least developed countries?
- The highest recorded value was 79.3% in 1995.
- What is the lowest self-employed, total (% of total employment) recorded in Least developed countries?
- The lowest recorded value was 75.2% in 2019.
- How does Least developed countries rank for self-employed, total (% of total employment)?
- Least developed countries ranks 8th out of 45 groups with data for 2025.
- Is self-employed, total (% of total employment) rising or falling in Least developed countries?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Least developed countries 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.