Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Portugal
Portugal: Self-employed, total (% of total employment) was 14.4% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Portugal, 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 Portugal is 14.4%, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.
The figure is down 0.7% on the previous year and down 15.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Portugal peaked at 27.9% in 1998 and was at its lowest, 14.4%, in 2025.
That places Portugal 147th out of 187 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Portugal, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 25.9% | — |
| 1992 | 24.3% | -6.1% |
| 1993 | 24.6% | +1.0% |
| 1994 | 26.0% | +6.0% |
| 1995 | 26.5% | +1.6% |
| 1996 | 27.1% | +2.5% |
| 1997 | 27.1% | -0.1% |
| 1998 | 27.9% | +3.1% |
| 1999 | 26.5% | -5.1% |
| 2000 | 26.0% | -1.8% |
| 2001 | 26.6% | +2.2% |
| 2002 | 26.2% | -1.4% |
| 2003 | 26.0% | -0.8% |
| 2004 | 24.8% | -4.6% |
| 2005 | 24.5% | -1.2% |
| 2006 | 23.4% | -4.6% |
| 2007 | 23.5% | +0.4% |
| 2008 | 23.0% | -2.0% |
| 2009 | 22.7% | -1.3% |
| 2010 | 21.8% | -4.0% |
| 2011 | 20.3% | -7.0% |
| 2012 | 20.8% | +2.6% |
| 2013 | 20.6% | -0.9% |
| 2014 | 18.5% | -10.5% |
| 2015 | 17.2% | -7.0% |
| 2016 | 16.5% | -3.6% |
| 2017 | 15.8% | -4.2% |
| 2018 | 15.5% | -2.1% |
| 2019 | 15.8% | +1.6% |
| 2020 | 15.7% | -0.4% |
| 2021 | 15.6% | -0.5% |
| 2022 | 15.2% | -2.7% |
| 2023 | 14.9% | -2.0% |
| 2024 | 14.5% | -2.4% |
| 2025 | 14.4% | -0.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 26.2% | 24.3% | 27.9% | 9 |
| 2000s | 24.7% | 22.7% | 26.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 18.3% | 15.5% | 21.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 15.1% | 14.4% | 15.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Portugal
More work & labour data for Portugal
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.0538 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.055 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.0528 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -2.28 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate -0.1795 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 7,134 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 1,861 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 4,504 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 4,250 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 8,754 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Portugal?
- Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Portugal was 14.4% 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 Portugal?
- The highest recorded value was 27.9% in 1998.
- What is the lowest self-employed, total (% of total employment) recorded in Portugal?
- The lowest recorded value was 14.4% in 2025.
- How does Portugal rank for self-employed, total (% of total employment)?
- Portugal ranks 147th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is self-employed, total (% of total employment) rising or falling in Portugal?
- Over the last ten years it is down 15.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Portugal 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.
Download this data
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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.