Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Myanmar
Myanmar: Self-employed, total (% of total employment) was 65.5% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Myanmar, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Myanmar recorded 65.5% for self-employed, total (% of total employment) in 2025.
That represents a change of down 1.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Myanmar peaked at 76.9% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 65.2%, in 2021.
Myanmar ranks 40th 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 Myanmar, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 76.9% | — |
| 1992 | 76.8% | -0.1% |
| 1993 | 76.6% | -0.2% |
| 1994 | 76.3% | -0.4% |
| 1995 | 76.0% | -0.4% |
| 1996 | 75.6% | -0.5% |
| 1997 | 75.3% | -0.5% |
| 1998 | 74.9% | -0.5% |
| 1999 | 74.5% | -0.6% |
| 2000 | 74.0% | -0.7% |
| 2001 | 73.4% | -0.7% |
| 2002 | 72.9% | -0.8% |
| 2003 | 72.3% | -0.8% |
| 2004 | 71.6% | -0.9% |
| 2005 | 71.0% | -0.9% |
| 2006 | 70.4% | -0.9% |
| 2007 | 69.8% | -0.9% |
| 2008 | 69.2% | -0.8% |
| 2009 | 68.6% | -0.8% |
| 2010 | 68.1% | -0.7% |
| 2011 | 67.7% | -0.7% |
| 2012 | 67.3% | -0.6% |
| 2013 | 67.0% | -0.5% |
| 2014 | 66.6% | -0.5% |
| 2015 | 66.3% | -0.5% |
| 2016 | 66.1% | -0.4% |
| 2017 | 65.9% | -0.3% |
| 2018 | 66.1% | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 65.5% | -0.9% |
| 2020 | 65.7% | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 65.2% | -0.8% |
| 2022 | 65.3% | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 65.4% | +0.1% |
| 2024 | 65.5% | +0.1% |
| 2025 | 65.5% | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 75.9% | 74.5% | 76.9% | 9 |
| 2000s | 71.3% | 68.6% | 74.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 66.7% | 65.5% | 68.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 65.4% | 65.2% | 65.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Myanmar
- 37 Ghana 67.5% compare
- 38 Azerbaijan 67.0% compare
- 39 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 66.3% compare
- 41 Kenya 64.8% compare
- 42 Senegal 64.3% compare
- 43 North Korea 62.1% compare
More work & labour data for Myanmar
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.5005 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.4735 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.5269 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.19 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 1.46 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 29,392 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 32,967 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 25,258 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 24,401 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 49,659 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Myanmar?
- Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Myanmar was 65.5% 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 Myanmar?
- The highest recorded value was 76.9% in 1991.
- What is the lowest self-employed, total (% of total employment) recorded in Myanmar?
- The lowest recorded value was 65.2% in 2021.
- How does Myanmar rank for self-employed, total (% of total employment)?
- Myanmar ranks 40th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is self-employed, total (% of total employment) rising or falling in Myanmar?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Myanmar 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.