Data / Rankings / Self-employed workers / Countries

Countries by self-employed workers, 2025

Chad had the highest self-employed workers of 181 countries in 2025, at 91.6%. Qatar had the lowest, at 0.8%. The median was 32% and the figure for the World was 46.4%. Source: the World Bank.

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Highest91.6Chad
Lowest0.8Qatar
Median32181 countries
World46.4History

Map of countries, 2025

United Arab Emirates: 5.1 %Afghanistan: 83.4 %Albania: 50.3 %Armenia: 33.7 %Angola: 75.9 %Argentina: 25.6 %Austria: 12.2 %Australia: 16.1 %Azerbaijan: 67 %Bosnia and Herzegovina: 22.1 %Bangladesh: 61 %Belgium: 14.6 %Burkina Faso: 82.6 %Bulgaria: 11.8 %Burundi: 84.9 %Benin: 79.8 %Brunei: 7.3 %Bolivia: 66.3 %Brazil: 30.3 %Bahamas: 17.1 %Bhutan: 69.5 %Botswana: 28.1 %Belarus: 6.8 %Belize: 35.2 %Canada: 12.9 %Democratic Republic of the Congo: 85.1 %Central African Republic: 85.4 %Republic of the Congo: 76.8 %Switzerland: 16.9 %Côte d’Ivoire: 71 %Chile: 23.9 %Cameroon: 69.3 %China: 37.7 %Colombia: 45.6 %Costa Rica: 26.6 %Cuba: 24.9 %Cape Verde: 38.5 %Cyprus: 10.2 %Czechia: 15.7 %Germany: 8.1 %Djibouti: 51.1 %Denmark: 7.9 %Dominican Republic: 42.1 %Algeria: 30.2 %Ecuador: 52.3 %Estonia: 12.1 %Egypt: 27 %Eritrea: 52.4 %Spain: 14.5 %Ethiopia: 84.3 %Finland: 12.5 %Fiji: 34.1 %France: 13.3 %Gabon: 32.4 %United Kingdom: 13.1 %Georgia: 46.1 %Ghana: 67.5 %Gambia: 68.6 %Guinea: 81.9 %Equatorial Guinea: 27.5 %Greece: 30.5 %Guatemala: 39.1 %Guinea-Bissau: 75.5 %Guyana: 31.1 %Hong Kong: 7.7 %Honduras: 44.1 %Croatia: 12.7 %Haiti: 76.8 %Hungary: 11.6 %Indonesia: 53.3 %Ireland: 13.4 %Israel: 11.3 %India: 74.9 %Iraq: 31.7 %Iran: 42.9 %Iceland: 13.3 %Italy: 21.1 %Jamaica: 35.7 %Jordan: 11.2 %Japan: 9.1 %Kenya: 64.8 %Kyrgyzstan: 30.5 %Cambodia: 55.5 %North Korea: 62.1 %South Korea: 22.7 %Kuwait: 3.2 %Kazakhstan: 26.1 %Laos: 77.1 %Sri Lanka: 42.1 %Liberia: 78.3 %Lesotho: 38.5 %Lithuania: 11.5 %Luxembourg: 10.3 %Latvia: 13.7 %Libya: 25.9 %Morocco: 40.1 %Moldova: 58.8 %Montenegro: 17.4 %Madagascar: 88.3 %North Macedonia: 16.6 %Mali: 76.4 %Myanmar: 65.5 %Mongolia: 41.2 %Mauritania: 57.4 %Mauritius: 17.8 %Malawi: 61.3 %Mexico: 30.8 %Malaysia: 25.4 %Mozambique: 85.3 %Namibia: 36.5 %New Caledonia: 17.1 %Niger: 89.5 %Nigeria: 86.2 %Nicaragua: 44.3 %Netherlands: 16.8 %Norway: 4.9 %Nepal: 78.6 %New Zealand: 18.4 %Oman: 5 %Panama: 40.6 %Peru: 51.3 %French Polynesia: 18.2 %Papua New Guinea: 78.7 %Philippines: 36.1 %Pakistan: 57 %Poland: 18.9 %Puerto Rico: 12.6 %Portugal: 14.4 %Paraguay: 41.3 %Qatar: 0.8 %Romania: 14.5 %Serbia: 27 %Russia: 6.3 %Rwanda: 40.4 %Saudi Arabia: 5.5 %Solomon Islands: 69.9 %Sweden: 10.2 %Singapore: 12.7 %Slovenia: 14 %Slovakia: 14.9 %Sierra Leone: 88.8 %Senegal: 64.3 %Somalia: 52.2 %Suriname: 22.5 %El Salvador: 35.7 %Syria: 42.4 %Eswatini: 30.2 %Chad: 91.6 %Togo: 76.6 %Thailand: 50.7 %Tajikistan: 31.3 %Timor-Leste: 74.9 %Turkmenistan: 32 %Tunisia: 24.9 %Türkiye: 28.5 %Trinidad and Tobago: 25.7 %Tanzania: 85.3 %Uganda: 80.5 %United States: 6.1 %Uruguay: 28 %Uzbekistan: 45.4 %Venezuela: 40.4 %Vietnam: 53.3 %Vanuatu: 60.6 %Samoa: 44.5 %Yemen: 52.6 %South Africa: 17.3 %Zambia: 71.7 %Zimbabwe: 70.8 %
  • Under 13
  • 13 to 23
  • 23 to 34
  • 34 to 51
  • 51 to 72
  • 72 and over
  • No data
%, 2025. Hatched areas have no value for this period. Source: World Bank (modelled estimate), Self-employed, total (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate) (SL.EMP.SELF.ZS). Boundaries: Natural Earth (public domain).

Top 40 countries, 2025

Chad: 91.6 %Chad91.6Niger: 89.5 %Niger89.5Sierra Leone: 88.8 %Sierra Leone88.8Madagascar: 88.3 %Madagascar88.3Nigeria: 86.2 %Nigeria86.2Central African Republic: 85.4 %Central African Republic85.4Tanzania: 85.3 %Tanzania85.3Mozambique: 85.3 %Mozambique85.3Democratic Republic of the Congo: 85.1 %Democratic Republic of the Congo85.1Burundi: 84.9 %Burundi84.9Ethiopia: 84.3 %Ethiopia84.3Afghanistan: 83.4 %Afghanistan83.4Burkina Faso: 82.6 %Burkina Faso82.6Guinea: 81.9 %Guinea81.9Uganda: 80.5 %Uganda80.5Benin: 79.8 %Benin79.8Papua New Guinea: 78.7 %Papua New Guinea78.7Nepal: 78.6 %Nepal78.6Liberia: 78.3 %Liberia78.3Laos: 77.1 %Laos77.1Haiti: 76.8 %Haiti76.8Republic of the Congo: 76.8 %Republic of the Congo76.8Togo: 76.6 %Togo76.6Mali: 76.4 %Mali76.4Angola: 75.9 %Angola75.9Guinea-Bissau: 75.5 %Guinea-Bissau75.5India: 74.9 %India74.9Timor-Leste: 74.9 %Timor-Leste74.9Zambia: 71.7 %Zambia71.7Côte d’Ivoire: 71 %Côte d’Ivoire71Zimbabwe: 70.8 %Zimbabwe70.8Solomon Islands: 69.9 %Solomon Islands69.9Bhutan: 69.5 %Bhutan69.5Cameroon: 69.3 %Cameroon69.3Gambia: 68.6 %Gambia68.6Ghana: 67.5 %Ghana67.5Azerbaijan: 67 %Azerbaijan67Bolivia: 66.3 %Bolivia66.3Myanmar: 65.5 %Myanmar65.5Kenya: 64.8 %Kenya64.8Chad: 91.6 %Chad91.6Niger: 89.5 %Niger89.5Sierra Leone: 88.8 %Sierra Leone88.8Madagascar: 88.3 %Madagascar88.3Nigeria: 86.2 %Nigeria86.2Central African Republic: 85.4 %Central African Republic85.4Tanzania: 85.3 %Tanzania85.3Mozambique: 85.3 %Mozambique85.3Democratic Republic of the Congo: 85.1 %Democratic Republic of the Congo85.1Burundi: 84.9 %Burundi84.9Ethiopia: 84.3 %Ethiopia84.3Afghanistan: 83.4 %Afghanistan83.4Burkina Faso: 82.6 %Burkina Faso82.6Guinea: 81.9 %Guinea81.9Uganda: 80.5 %Uganda80.5Benin: 79.8 %Benin79.8Papua New Guinea: 78.7 %Papua New Guinea78.7Nepal: 78.6 %Nepal78.6Liberia: 78.3 %Liberia78.3Laos: 77.1 %Laos77.1Haiti: 76.8 %Haiti76.8Republic of the Congo: 76.8 %Republic of the Congo76.8Togo: 76.6 %Togo76.6Mali: 76.4 %Mali76.4Angola: 75.9 %Angola75.9Guinea-Bissau: 75.5 %Guinea-Bissau75.5India: 74.9 %India74.9Timor-Leste: 74.9 %Timor-Leste74.9Zambia: 71.7 %Zambia71.7Côte d’Ivoire: 71 %Côte d’Ivoire71Zimbabwe: 70.8 %Zimbabwe70.8Solomon Islands: 69.9 %Solomon Islands69.9Bhutan: 69.5 %Bhutan69.5Cameroon: 69.3 %Cameroon69.3Gambia: 68.6 %Gambia68.6Ghana: 67.5 %Ghana67.5Azerbaijan: 67 %Azerbaijan67Bolivia: 66.3 %Bolivia66.3Myanmar: 65.5 %Myanmar65.5Kenya: 64.8 %Kenya64.8
%. Source: World Bank (modelled estimate), Self-employed, total (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate) (SL.EMP.SELF.ZS). Retrieved 2026-10-18.

Full ranking

RankCountries2025 (%)Change on 2024
1Chad91.60 pts
2Niger89.5-0.3 pts
3Sierra Leone88.8-0.2 pts
4Madagascar88.3-0.2 pts
5Nigeria86.2-0.3 pts
6Central African Republic85.4-0.1 pts
7Tanzania85.3-0.2 pts
8Mozambique85.3-0.2 pts
9Democratic Republic of the Congo85.1-0.3 pts
10Burundi84.9-0.1 pts
11Ethiopia84.3-0.3 pts
12Afghanistan83.40 pts
13Burkina Faso82.6-0.2 pts
14Guinea81.9-0.3 pts
15Uganda80.5-0.2 pts
16Benin79.8-0.4 pts
17Papua New Guinea78.7-0.2 pts
18Nepal78.6-0.3 pts
19Liberia78.3-0.3 pts
20Laos77.1-0.3 pts
21Haiti76.80 pts
22Republic of the Congo76.8-0.1 pts
23Togo76.6-0.4 pts
24Mali76.4-0.5 pts
25Angola75.90 pts
26Guinea-Bissau75.5-0.2 pts
27India74.9-0.5 pts
28Timor-Leste74.9-0.2 pts
29Zambia71.7-0.3 pts
30Côte d’Ivoire71-0.4 pts
31Zimbabwe70.8-0.1 pts
32Solomon Islands69.9-0.2 pts
33Bhutan69.5-0.4 pts
34Cameroon69.3-0.3 pts
35Gambia68.6-0.4 pts
36Ghana67.5-0.4 pts
37Azerbaijan67-0.2 pts
38Bolivia66.3-0.2 pts
39Myanmar65.50 pts
40Kenya64.8-0.1 pts
41Senegal64.3-0.3 pts
42North Korea62.1-0.1 pts
43Malawi61.3-0.1 pts
44Bangladesh61-0.4 pts
45Vanuatu60.6-0 pts
46Moldova58.8+0.1 pts
47Comoros57.9-0.1 pts
48Mauritania57.4-0.3 pts
49Pakistan57-0.2 pts
50Cambodia55.5-0.3 pts
51Vietnam53.3-0.5 pts
52Indonesia53.3-0.3 pts
53Yemen52.6+0.1 pts
54Eritrea52.4-0.2 pts
55Ecuador52.3-0 pts
56Somalia52.2-0.1 pts
57Peru51.3-0.4 pts
58Djibouti51.1-0.1 pts
59Thailand50.7-0.1 pts
60Albania50.3-0.3 pts
61Georgia46.1-0.5 pts
62Colombia45.6-0.1 pts
63Uzbekistan45.4-0.2 pts
64Samoa44.5-0.2 pts
65Nicaragua44.3-0.2 pts
66Honduras44.1-0.3 pts
67São Tomé and Príncipe44-0.1 pts
68Iran42.9-0.2 pts
69Syria42.4-0 pts
70Dominican Republic42.1-0.1 pts
71Sri Lanka42.1-0.1 pts
72Tonga41.8-0.3 pts
73Paraguay41.3-0.3 pts
74Mongolia41.2-0.4 pts
75Panama40.6-0 pts
76Rwanda40.4-0.5 pts
77Venezuela40.4+0.1 pts
78Morocco40.1-0.3 pts
79Guatemala39.1-0.2 pts
80Lesotho38.5-0.1 pts
81Cape Verde38.5-0.4 pts
82China37.7-0.4 pts
83Namibia36.5-0.3 pts
84Philippines36.1-0.3 pts
85Jamaica35.7-0.1 pts
86El Salvador35.7-0.4 pts
87Belize35.2-0.1 pts
88Fiji34.1-0.3 pts
89Armenia33.7-0.6 pts
90Gabon32.4-0.1 pts
91Turkmenistan32-0.1 pts
92Iraq31.7+0.1 pts
93Tajikistan31.3-0.3 pts
94Guyana31.1-0.5 pts
95Mexico30.80 pts
96Kyrgyzstan30.5-0.5 pts
97Greece30.5-0.2 pts
98Brazil30.3-0.2 pts
99Eswatini30.2-0.2 pts
100Algeria30.2-0.2 pts
101Türkiye28.5-0.3 pts
102Botswana28.1-0 pts
103Uruguay28-0.1 pts
104Equatorial Guinea27.5+0.2 pts
105Serbia27-0.2 pts
106Egypt27-0.1 pts
107Saint Lucia26.7-0.1 pts
108Costa Rica26.6-0.2 pts
109Kazakhstan26.1-0.1 pts
110Libya25.9-0.4 pts
111Trinidad and Tobago25.70 pts
112Saint Vincent and the Grenadines25.7-0.2 pts
113Argentina25.6-0.1 pts
114Malaysia25.4-0.1 pts
115Tunisia24.9-0.1 pts
116Cuba24.9-0 pts
117Chile23.9-0.1 pts
118South Korea22.7-0.2 pts
119Suriname22.5-0.3 pts
120Bosnia and Herzegovina22.1-0.3 pts
121Italy21.1-0.1 pts
122Maldives20-0.3 pts
123Barbados19.5-0.3 pts
124Poland18.9-0.1 pts
125New Zealand18.4-0.2 pts
126French Polynesia18.2-0.2 pts
127Mauritius17.8-0.4 pts
128Montenegro17.4-0.4 pts
129South Africa17.3-0 pts
130New Caledonia17.1+0.2 pts
131Bahamas17.1-0 pts
132Switzerland16.90 pts
133Netherlands16.8-0 pts
134North Macedonia16.6-0.2 pts
135Australia16.1-0.1 pts
136Czechia15.7-0.1 pts
137Guam15.5-0.1 pts
138Slovakia14.9-0.1 pts
139Belgium14.6-0.1 pts
140Spain14.5-0.2 pts
141Romania14.5-0.2 pts
142Portugal14.4-0.1 pts
143Slovenia14-0.2 pts
144Malta13.9-0.2 pts
145Latvia13.7-0.1 pts
146Ireland13.4-0.1 pts
147Iceland13.3-0 pts
148France13.3-0.1 pts
149United Kingdom13.1-0.1 pts
150Canada12.9-0.1 pts
151Croatia12.7-0.3 pts
152Singapore12.7-0.1 pts
153Puerto Rico12.6-0 pts
154Finland12.50 pts
155Austria12.2-0 pts
156Estonia12.1-0 pts
157Bulgaria11.8-0.1 pts
158Hungary11.6-0.2 pts
159Lithuania11.5-0.2 pts
160Israel11.3-0.1 pts
161Jordan11.2-0.1 pts
162Luxembourg10.30 pts
163Sweden10.2-0.1 pts
164Cyprus10.2+0.2 pts
165U.S. Virgin Islands9.1-0 pts
166Japan9.1-0.2 pts
167Germany8.1-0 pts
168Denmark7.9-0.1 pts
169Hong Kong7.7-0.1 pts
170Brunei7.3-0.1 pts
171Belarus6.8-0.2 pts
172Macao6.8-0.3 pts
173Russia6.3-0.1 pts
174United States6.1-0.1 pts
175Saudi Arabia5.5-0 pts
176United Arab Emirates5.1-0.1 pts
177Oman50 pts
178Norway4.9-0.1 pts
179Kuwait3.2+0.1 pts
180Bahrain2.4-0.1 pts
181Qatar0.80 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

Employers, own-account workers, members of producers' cooperatives and contributing family workers, whose pay depends directly on the profits of what they produce, as a percentage of total employment. ILO modelled estimates, ages 15 and over.

ILO modelled estimates: model outputs that fill years without a survey, not survey results. The latest year is a nowcast and is revised as surveys arrive. Includes unpaid family workers, so it is high where small farms dominate and is not a measure of entrepreneurship.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the countries are compared on one definition. 5 countries with data in other periods have no value for 2025 and are left out rather than filled from another source. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

World Bank, World Development Indicators, modelled estimate. Self-employed, total (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate) (SL.EMP.SELF.ZS). https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.EMP.SELF.ZS. Retrieved 2026-10-18. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

World Bank. (2026). Self-employed, total (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate) (SL.EMP.SELF.ZS) (Countries by self-employed workers, 2025) [Data set]. Retrieved October 18, 2026, from https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.EMP.SELF.ZS

MLA 9

Self-employed, total (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate) (SL.EMP.SELF.ZS), Countries by self-employed workers, 2025. World Bank, 8 Oct. 2026, https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.EMP.SELF.ZS. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/self-employed-share/countries. Accessed 18 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

World Bank. 2026. Self-employed, total (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate) (SL.EMP.SELF.ZS). Countries by self-employed workers, 2025. Dataset. Accessed October 18, 2026. https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.EMP.SELF.ZS. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/self-employed-share/countries.

Harvard

World Bank (2026) Self-employed, total (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate) (SL.EMP.SELF.ZS), Countries by self-employed workers, 2025 [Dataset]. Available at: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.EMP.SELF.ZS, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/self-employed-share/countries (Accessed: 18 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{world_countries_by_self_employed_2025,
  author = {{World Bank}},
  title = {{Self-employed, total (\% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate) (SL.EMP.SELF.ZS): Countries by self-employed workers, 2025}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.EMP.SELF.ZS},
  urldate = {2026-10-18},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/self-employed-share/countries. Publisher attribution: World Bank, World Development Indicators, modelled estimate. Self-employed, total (\% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate) (SL.EMP.SELF.ZS). https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.EMP.SELF.ZS. Retrieved 2026-10-18. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - World Bank
TI  - Self-employed, total (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate) (SL.EMP.SELF.ZS): Countries by self-employed workers, 2025
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/10/08
PB  - World Bank
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.EMP.SELF.ZS
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/self-employed-share/countries
Y2  - 2026/10/18
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/self-employed-share/countries.
N1  - Publisher attribution: World Bank, World Development Indicators, modelled estimate. Self-employed, total (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate) (SL.EMP.SELF.ZS). https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.EMP.SELF.ZS. Retrieved 2026-10-18. Licensed under CC BY 4.0.
ER  -
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Questions

Which country has the highest self-employed workers?

Chad, with 91.6% in 2025, according to the World Bank.

Which country has the lowest self-employed workers?

Qatar, with 0.8% in 2025.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: World Bank, Self-employed, total (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate) (SL.EMP.SELF.ZS). Retrieved 2026-10-18. 5 countries have no value for 2025 and are not ranked.

Self-employed workers: other rankings

Countries: more rankings