Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Self-employed, total (% of total employment) was 42.1% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Sri Lanka, 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 Sri Lanka is 42.1%, measured in 2025.
The figure is down 0.2% on the previous year and down 4.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Sri Lanka peaked at 47.8% in 2006 and was at its lowest, 42.0%, in 2022.
That places Sri Lanka 73rd out of 187 countries with data for 2025, putting it 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 Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 44.6% | — |
| 1992 | 44.4% | -0.4% |
| 1993 | 44.2% | -0.4% |
| 1994 | 44.4% | +0.3% |
| 1995 | 44.3% | -0.2% |
| 1996 | 44.2% | -0.3% |
| 1997 | 44.0% | -0.4% |
| 1998 | 47.7% | +8.4% |
| 1999 | 45.9% | -3.8% |
| 2000 | 47.1% | +2.6% |
| 2001 | 44.7% | -5.0% |
| 2002 | 45.5% | +1.6% |
| 2003 | 45.5% | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 43.9% | -3.4% |
| 2005 | 44.1% | +0.3% |
| 2006 | 47.8% | +8.4% |
| 2007 | 46.9% | -1.8% |
| 2008 | 47.3% | +1.0% |
| 2009 | 45.8% | -3.3% |
| 2010 | 45.4% | -0.9% |
| 2011 | 44.9% | -1.0% |
| 2012 | 43.6% | -3.0% |
| 2013 | 43.7% | +0.3% |
| 2014 | 43.0% | -1.7% |
| 2015 | 43.9% | +2.0% |
| 2016 | 42.2% | -3.8% |
| 2017 | 42.3% | +0.4% |
| 2018 | 42.2% | -0.3% |
| 2019 | 42.1% | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 42.5% | +1.1% |
| 2021 | 42.7% | +0.5% |
| 2022 | 42.0% | -1.8% |
| 2023 | 42.1% | +0.3% |
| 2024 | 42.2% | +0.2% |
| 2025 | 42.1% | -0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 44.8% | 44.0% | 47.7% | 9 |
| 2000s | 45.9% | 43.9% | 47.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 43.3% | 42.1% | 45.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 42.3% | 42.0% | 42.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
- 70 Iran, Islamic Republic of 42.9% compare
- 71 Syrian Arab Republic 42.4% compare
- 72 Dominican Republic 42.1% compare
- 74 Tonga 41.8% compare
- 75 Paraguay 41.3% compare
- 76 Mongolia 41.2% compare
More work & labour data for Sri Lanka
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.5555 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.5407 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.5702 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.3 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 1.6 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 6,575 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 14,218 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 10,672 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 10,578 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 21,249 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Sri Lanka?
- Self-employed, total (% of total employment) in Sri Lanka was 42.1% 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 Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 47.8% in 2006.
- What is the lowest self-employed, total (% of total employment) recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 42.0% in 2022.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for self-employed, total (% of total employment)?
- Sri Lanka ranks 73rd out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is self-employed, total (% of total employment) rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sri Lanka 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.