Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Pakistan
Pakistan: Self-employed, total (% of total employment) was 57.0% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Pakistan, 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 Pakistan is 57.0%, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.
That represents a change of down 0.4% on the previous year and down 5.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Pakistan peaked at 67.1% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 57.0%, in 2025.
Pakistan ranks 50th of 187 countries on this measure, 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 Pakistan, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 67.1% | — |
| 1992 | 66.9% | -0.3% |
| 1993 | 66.5% | -0.5% |
| 1994 | 66.4% | -0.2% |
| 1995 | 66.3% | -0.1% |
| 1996 | 66.3% | -0.0% |
| 1997 | 64.0% | -3.5% |
| 1998 | 65.2% | +1.9% |
| 1999 | 65.2% | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 64.9% | -0.5% |
| 2001 | 64.9% | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 60.6% | -6.6% |
| 2003 | 60.6% | -0.0% |
| 2004 | 62.5% | +3.3% |
| 2005 | 59.1% | -5.5% |
| 2006 | 58.8% | -0.5% |
| 2007 | 59.0% | +0.3% |
| 2008 | 60.3% | +2.3% |
| 2009 | 60.5% | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 60.9% | +0.6% |
| 2011 | 60.5% | -0.7% |
| 2012 | 60.4% | -0.2% |
| 2013 | 60.3% | -0.2% |
| 2014 | 60.2% | -0.0% |
| 2015 | 60.6% | +0.6% |
| 2016 | 59.4% | -1.9% |
| 2017 | 58.3% | -2.0% |
| 2018 | 57.0% | -2.1% |
| 2019 | 59.7% | +4.7% |
| 2020 | 59.1% | -1.1% |
| 2021 | 57.8% | -2.2% |
| 2022 | 57.5% | -0.4% |
| 2023 | 57.4% | -0.3% |
| 2024 | 57.2% | -0.3% |
| 2025 | 57.0% | -0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 66.0% | 64.0% | 67.1% | 9 |
| 2000s | 61.1% | 58.8% | 64.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 59.7% | 57.0% | 60.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 57.7% | 57.0% | 59.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Pakistan
More work & labour data for Pakistan
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.1692 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.1658 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.1724 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -0.4553 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 2.11 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 160,228 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 146,712 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 259,090 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 251,911 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 511,001 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Pakistan?
- Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Pakistan was 57.0% 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 Pakistan?
- The highest recorded value was 67.1% in 1991.
- What is the lowest self-employed, total (% of total employment) recorded in Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 57.0% in 2025.
- How does Pakistan rank for self-employed, total (% of total employment)?
- Pakistan ranks 50th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is self-employed, total (% of total employment) rising or falling in Pakistan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Pakistan 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.