Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in South Sudan

South Sudan: Self-employed, total (% of total employment) was 82.5% in 2023. ▬ Flat

Latest (2023)
82.5%
Change on year
down 0.5%
World rank
14th
of 187 countries
All-time high
86.1%
in 1991
All-time low
82.4%
in 2008
Years of data
33
1991–2023

Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in South Sudan, 1991–2023

0204060801991200720231991: 86.11992: 85.41993: 84.71994: 84.61995: 84.61996: 84.61997: 841998: 83.51999: 83.22000: 832001: 82.82002: 82.72003: 82.62004: 82.62005: 82.62006: 82.52007: 82.52008: 82.42009: 82.72010: 82.92011: 83.32012: 84.72013: 85.22014: 85.12015: 852016: 85.12017: 84.82018: 84.22019: 83.62020: 842021: 83.42022: 832023: 82.5

Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).

Analysis

South Sudan recorded 82.5% for self-employed, total (% of total employment) in 2023.

That represents a change of down 0.5% on the previous year and down 3.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, self-employed, total (% of total employment) in South Sudan peaked at 86.1% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 82.4%, in 2008.

South Sudan ranks 14th of 187 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in South Sudan, year by year

Annual values for Self-employed, total (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate) in South Sudan, 1991 to 2023.
Year Value Change
1991 86.1%
1992 85.4% -0.8%
1993 84.7% -0.8%
1994 84.6% -0.1%
1995 84.6% -0.1%
1996 84.6% -0.0%
1997 84.0% -0.7%
1998 83.5% -0.6%
1999 83.2% -0.4%
2000 83.0% -0.3%
2001 82.8% -0.2%
2002 82.7% -0.1%
2003 82.6% -0.1%
2004 82.6% -0.0%
2005 82.6% -0.0%
2006 82.5% -0.1%
2007 82.5% -0.1%
2008 82.4% -0.1%
2009 82.7% +0.3%
2010 82.9% +0.2%
2011 83.3% +0.5%
2012 84.7% +1.7%
2013 85.2% +0.6%
2014 85.1% -0.2%
2015 85.0% -0.1%
2016 85.1% +0.1%
2017 84.8% -0.4%
2018 84.2% -0.7%
2019 83.6% -0.8%
2020 84.0% +0.5%
2021 83.4% -0.6%
2022 83.0% -0.5%
2023 82.5% -0.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 84.5% 83.2% 86.1% 9
2000s 82.7% 82.4% 83.0% 10
2010s 84.4% 82.9% 85.2% 10
2020s 83.2% 82.5% 84.0% 4

Countries ranked near South Sudan

  1. 11 Ethiopia 84.3% compare
  2. 12 Afghanistan 83.4% compare
  3. 13 Burkina Faso 82.6% compare
  4. 15 Guinea 81.9% compare
  5. 16 Uganda 80.5% compare
  6. 17 Benin 79.8% compare

See the full ranking of 235 places →

More work & labour data for South Sudan

All data for South Sudan →

Frequently asked questions

What is self-employed, total (% of total employment) in South Sudan?
Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in South Sudan was 82.5% in 2023, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
What is the highest self-employed, total (% of total employment) recorded in South Sudan?
The highest recorded value was 86.1% in 1991.
What is the lowest self-employed, total (% of total employment) recorded in South Sudan?
The lowest recorded value was 82.4% in 2008.
How does South Sudan rank for self-employed, total (% of total employment)?
South Sudan ranks 14th out of 187 countries with data for 2023.
Is self-employed, total (% of total employment) rising or falling in South Sudan?
Over the last ten years it is down 3.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this South Sudan 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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Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in South Sudan. Statizoid, drawing on ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO). Retrieved 05 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/self-employed-total-percent-of-total-employment-modeled-ilo-estimate/south-sudan/

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About this data

Indicator
Self-employed, total (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate)
Source
ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
235 places, 8,211 data points, 1991–2025
Last refreshed

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.