Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Small states
Small states: Self-employed, total (% of total employment) was 32.5% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Small states, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Small states recorded 32.5% for self-employed, total (% of total employment) in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.1% on the previous year and down 2.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Small states peaked at 35.4% in 1993 and was at its lowest, 32.4%, in 2024.
Small states ranks 35th of 45 groups on this measure, 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 Small states, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 34.5% | — |
| 1992 | 35.0% | +1.3% |
| 1993 | 35.4% | +1.2% |
| 1994 | 35.3% | -0.2% |
| 1995 | 35.0% | -0.8% |
| 1996 | 35.1% | +0.1% |
| 1997 | 34.9% | -0.5% |
| 1998 | 34.7% | -0.6% |
| 1999 | 34.5% | -0.5% |
| 2000 | 34.0% | -1.5% |
| 2001 | 34.1% | +0.5% |
| 2002 | 34.2% | +0.3% |
| 2003 | 34.2% | -0.0% |
| 2004 | 33.9% | -1.0% |
| 2005 | 33.7% | -0.5% |
| 2006 | 33.4% | -0.9% |
| 2007 | 33.3% | -0.2% |
| 2008 | 33.2% | -0.4% |
| 2009 | 33.7% | +1.5% |
| 2010 | 33.8% | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 33.8% | +0.1% |
| 2012 | 33.4% | -1.1% |
| 2013 | 33.6% | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 33.4% | -0.6% |
| 2015 | 33.2% | -0.5% |
| 2016 | 33.1% | -0.3% |
| 2017 | 33.0% | -0.3% |
| 2018 | 32.7% | -0.8% |
| 2019 | 32.9% | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 33.7% | +2.4% |
| 2021 | 33.3% | -1.0% |
| 2022 | 32.7% | -1.8% |
| 2023 | 32.6% | -0.5% |
| 2024 | 32.4% | -0.4% |
| 2025 | 32.5% | +0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 34.9% | 34.5% | 35.4% | 9 |
| 2000s | 33.8% | 33.2% | 34.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 33.3% | 32.7% | 33.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 32.9% | 32.4% | 33.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Small states
More work & labour data for Small states
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 66.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 51.7% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 77.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 67.9% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 59.8% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) 35.1% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 73.7% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) 38.5% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 58.4% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) 41.7% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Small states?
- Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Small states was 32.5% 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 Small states?
- The highest recorded value was 35.4% in 1993.
- What is the lowest self-employed, total (% of total employment) recorded in Small states?
- The lowest recorded value was 32.4% in 2024.
- How does Small states rank for self-employed, total (% of total employment)?
- Small states ranks 35th out of 45 groups with data for 2025.
- Is self-employed, total (% of total employment) rising or falling in Small states?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Small states 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.