Data / Rankings / Self-employed workers / Countries

Countries by self-employed workers

Niger had the highest self-employed workers of 186 countries in 2015, at 91.2%. Qatar had the lowest, at 0.5%. The median was 34.9% and the figure for the World was 46.9%. Source: the World Bank.

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Highest91.2Niger
Lowest0.5Qatar
Median34.9186 countries
World46.9History

Map of countries, 2015

United Arab Emirates: 3.6 %Afghanistan: 85.6 %Albania: 58.8 %Armenia: 44.8 %Angola: 74.6 %Argentina: 24.2 %Austria: 13.8 %Australia: 16.6 %Azerbaijan: 67.7 %Bosnia and Herzegovina: 23.3 %Bangladesh: 61.1 %Belgium: 15.2 %Burkina Faso: 82.9 %Bulgaria: 12.3 %Burundi: 86.9 %Benin: 83.9 %Brunei: 9 %Bolivia: 71.7 %Brazil: 30.5 %Bahamas: 14.9 %Bhutan: 73 %Botswana: 30.4 %Belarus: 7.9 %Belize: 32.5 %Canada: 15 %Democratic Republic of the Congo: 83.6 %Central African Republic: 85.5 %Republic of the Congo: 76.3 %Switzerland: 15 %Côte d’Ivoire: 74.8 %Chile: 23.4 %Cameroon: 76.5 %China: 41.5 %Colombia: 47.5 %Costa Rica: 29.4 %Cuba: 24.4 %Cape Verde: 40.2 %Cyprus: 14.9 %Czechia: 17.3 %Germany: 10.7 %Djibouti: 52.9 %Denmark: 8.9 %Dominican Republic: 45.1 %Algeria: 31.4 %Ecuador: 47.8 %Estonia: 12.3 %Egypt: 30.1 %Eritrea: 53.2 %Spain: 17.4 %Ethiopia: 87.2 %Finland: 14.3 %Fiji: 39.2 %France: 11.6 %Gabon: 33.4 %United Kingdom: 15 %Georgia: 54.1 %Ghana: 76.4 %Gambia: 73.7 %Guinea: 85.6 %Equatorial Guinea: 25.1 %Greece: 35.1 %Guatemala: 39.7 %Guinea-Bissau: 76.7 %Guyana: 35.6 %Hong Kong: 8.9 %Honduras: 45.9 %Croatia: 17.4 %Haiti: 74.9 %Hungary: 11 %Indonesia: 51.5 %Ireland: 16.5 %Israel: 12 %India: 79.5 %Iraq: 31.9 %Iran: 44.5 %Iceland: 16.7 %Italy: 24.4 %Jamaica: 40.1 %Jordan: 14.9 %Japan: 10.9 %Kenya: 63.2 %Kyrgyzstan: 40 %Cambodia: 58.1 %North Korea: 61.5 %South Korea: 25.9 %Kuwait: 1.2 %Kazakhstan: 27 %Laos: 80.7 %Lebanon: 29.4 %Sri Lanka: 43.9 %Liberia: 79 %Lesotho: 39.2 %Lithuania: 12.3 %Luxembourg: 11.2 %Latvia: 13.8 %Libya: 26.9 %Morocco: 42.5 %Moldova: 60.9 %Montenegro: 20.9 %Madagascar: 89.4 %North Macedonia: 26.1 %Mali: 82.2 %Myanmar: 66.3 %Mongolia: 48.2 %Mauritania: 58.2 %Mauritius: 20.3 %Malawi: 62.2 %Mexico: 30.4 %Malaysia: 26.6 %Mozambique: 86.3 %Namibia: 31.9 %New Caledonia: 14.3 %Niger: 91.2 %Nigeria: 87.5 %Nicaragua: 45.7 %Netherlands: 15 %Norway: 5.9 %Nepal: 81.1 %New Zealand: 20.3 %Oman: 4.8 %Panama: 35.8 %Peru: 54.7 %French Polynesia: 19.1 %Papua New Guinea: 80 %Philippines: 38.5 %Pakistan: 60.6 %Poland: 25.4 %Puerto Rico: 11.8 %Palestine: 31.4 %Portugal: 17.2 %Paraguay: 43.8 %Qatar: 0.5 %Romania: 20.7 %Serbia: 30.2 %Russia: 7.3 %Rwanda: 43.9 %Saudi Arabia: 3.3 %Solomon Islands: 70.5 %Sudan: 47.1 %Sweden: 11.1 %Singapore: 14 %Slovenia: 17.9 %Slovakia: 15.5 %Sierra Leone: 89.2 %Senegal: 66.6 %Somalia: 52.9 %Suriname: 22.8 %South Sudan: 85 %El Salvador: 40.4 %Syria: 42.2 %Eswatini: 36 %Chad: 90.9 %Togo: 81.5 %Thailand: 51.6 %Tajikistan: 33.7 %Timor-Leste: 75.3 %Turkmenistan: 34.8 %Tunisia: 26.4 %Türkiye: 33.4 %Trinidad and Tobago: 22.2 %Tanzania: 87.2 %Ukraine: 20.7 %Uganda: 78.5 %United States: 6.9 %Uruguay: 27 %Uzbekistan: 47.1 %Venezuela: 35 %Vietnam: 60.7 %Vanuatu: 65.2 %Samoa: 45.8 %Yemen: 50.3 %South Africa: 14.6 %Zambia: 74.9 %Zimbabwe: 71.5 %
  • Under 15
  • 15 to 24
  • 24 to 36
  • 36 to 52
  • 52 to 75
  • 75 and over
  • No data
%, 2015. 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, 2015

Niger: 91.2 %Niger91.2Chad: 90.9 %Chad90.9Madagascar: 89.4 %Madagascar89.4Sierra Leone: 89.2 %Sierra Leone89.2Nigeria: 87.5 %Nigeria87.5Tanzania: 87.2 %Tanzania87.2Ethiopia: 87.2 %Ethiopia87.2Burundi: 86.9 %Burundi86.9Mozambique: 86.3 %Mozambique86.3Afghanistan: 85.6 %Afghanistan85.6Guinea: 85.6 %Guinea85.6Central African Republic: 85.5 %Central African Republic85.5South Sudan: 85 %South Sudan85Benin: 83.9 %Benin83.9Democratic Republic of the Congo: 83.6 %Democratic Republic of the Congo83.6Burkina Faso: 82.9 %Burkina Faso82.9Mali: 82.2 %Mali82.2Togo: 81.5 %Togo81.5Nepal: 81.1 %Nepal81.1Laos: 80.7 %Laos80.7Papua New Guinea: 80 %Papua New Guinea80India: 79.5 %India79.5Liberia: 79 %Liberia79Uganda: 78.5 %Uganda78.5Guinea-Bissau: 76.7 %Guinea-Bissau76.7Cameroon: 76.5 %Cameroon76.5Ghana: 76.4 %Ghana76.4Republic of the Congo: 76.3 %Republic of the Congo76.3Timor-Leste: 75.3 %Timor-Leste75.3Haiti: 74.9 %Haiti74.9Zambia: 74.9 %Zambia74.9Côte d’Ivoire: 74.8 %Côte d’Ivoire74.8Angola: 74.6 %Angola74.6Gambia: 73.7 %Gambia73.7Bhutan: 73 %Bhutan73Bolivia: 71.7 %Bolivia71.7Zimbabwe: 71.5 %Zimbabwe71.5Solomon Islands: 70.5 %Solomon Islands70.5Azerbaijan: 67.7 %Azerbaijan67.7Senegal: 66.6 %Senegal66.6Niger: 91.2 %Niger91.2Chad: 90.9 %Chad90.9Madagascar: 89.4 %Madagascar89.4Sierra Leone: 89.2 %Sierra Leone89.2Nigeria: 87.5 %Nigeria87.5Tanzania: 87.2 %Tanzania87.2Ethiopia: 87.2 %Ethiopia87.2Burundi: 86.9 %Burundi86.9Mozambique: 86.3 %Mozambique86.3Afghanistan: 85.6 %Afghanistan85.6Guinea: 85.6 %Guinea85.6Central African Republic: 85.5 %Central African Republic85.5South Sudan: 85 %South Sudan85Benin: 83.9 %Benin83.9Democratic Republic of the Congo: 83.6 %Democratic Republic of the Congo83.6Burkina Faso: 82.9 %Burkina Faso82.9Mali: 82.2 %Mali82.2Togo: 81.5 %Togo81.5Nepal: 81.1 %Nepal81.1Laos: 80.7 %Laos80.7Papua New Guinea: 80 %Papua New Guinea80India: 79.5 %India79.5Liberia: 79 %Liberia79Uganda: 78.5 %Uganda78.5Guinea-Bissau: 76.7 %Guinea-Bissau76.7Cameroon: 76.5 %Cameroon76.5Ghana: 76.4 %Ghana76.4Republic of the Congo: 76.3 %Republic of the Congo76.3Timor-Leste: 75.3 %Timor-Leste75.3Haiti: 74.9 %Haiti74.9Zambia: 74.9 %Zambia74.9Côte d’Ivoire: 74.8 %Côte d’Ivoire74.8Angola: 74.6 %Angola74.6Gambia: 73.7 %Gambia73.7Bhutan: 73 %Bhutan73Bolivia: 71.7 %Bolivia71.7Zimbabwe: 71.5 %Zimbabwe71.5Solomon Islands: 70.5 %Solomon Islands70.5Azerbaijan: 67.7 %Azerbaijan67.7Senegal: 66.6 %Senegal66.6
%. Source: World Bank (modelled estimate), Self-employed, total (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate) (SL.EMP.SELF.ZS). Retrieved 2026-10-18.

Full ranking

RankCountries2015 (%)Change on 2014
1Niger91.2-0.1 pts
2Chad90.9-0.1 pts
3Madagascar89.4+0.1 pts
4Sierra Leone89.2+0.1 pts
5Nigeria87.5-0.3 pts
6Tanzania87.2-0.3 pts
7Ethiopia87.2-0.5 pts
8Burundi86.9-0.3 pts
9Mozambique86.3-0.5 pts
10Afghanistan85.6-0.7 pts
11Guinea85.6-0.6 pts
12Central African Republic85.5+0.2 pts
13South Sudan85-0.1 pts
14Benin83.9-0.2 pts
15Democratic Republic of the Congo83.6+0.3 pts
16Burkina Faso82.90 pts
17Mali82.20 pts
18Togo81.5-0.3 pts
19Nepal81.1-0.3 pts
20Laos80.7-0.5 pts
21Papua New Guinea80-0.3 pts
22India79.5-0.5 pts
23Liberia79-0.1 pts
24Uganda78.5-0.1 pts
25Guinea-Bissau76.7-0.1 pts
26Cameroon76.5-1.2 pts
27Ghana76.4-0.4 pts
28Republic of the Congo76.3-0.1 pts
29Timor-Leste75.3-0.3 pts
30Haiti74.90 pts
31Zambia74.9-2.1 pts
32Côte d’Ivoire74.8-0.9 pts
33Angola74.6-0.1 pts
34Gambia73.7-0.7 pts
35Bhutan73+1.8 pts
36Bolivia71.7-1.6 pts
37Zimbabwe71.5-0.2 pts
38Solomon Islands70.5-0.1 pts
39Azerbaijan67.7+1 pts
40Senegal66.6-0.4 pts
41Myanmar66.3-0.3 pts
42Vanuatu65.2-0.9 pts
43Kenya63.2-0.3 pts
44Malawi62.2-0.1 pts
45North Korea61.50 pts
46Bangladesh61.1-0.2 pts
47Moldova60.9+1.3 pts
48Vietnam60.7-3.7 pts
49Pakistan60.6+0.4 pts
50Albania58.8+0.9 pts
51Comoros58.5-0 pts
52Mauritania58.2+0.3 pts
53Cambodia58.1-0.3 pts
54Peru54.7-0.7 pts
55Georgia54.1-2.2 pts
56Eritrea53.20 pts
57Tonga53-0.2 pts
58Somalia52.9-0.4 pts
59Djibouti52.9-0.3 pts
60Thailand51.6-1.1 pts
61Indonesia51.5-2.3 pts
62Yemen50.3+0.8 pts
63Mongolia48.2+0.7 pts
64Ecuador47.8+2 pts
65Colombia47.5-0.3 pts
66Sudan47.1+0.3 pts
67Uzbekistan47.1-0.2 pts
68Honduras45.9+1.1 pts
69Samoa45.80 pts
70Nicaragua45.7-0.3 pts
71Dominican Republic45.1-0.2 pts
72Armenia44.8-1.3 pts
73São Tomé and Príncipe44.6-0.3 pts
74Iran44.5+0.1 pts
75Rwanda43.9-0.2 pts
76Sri Lanka43.9+0.9 pts
77Paraguay43.8+0.1 pts
78Morocco42.5-0.4 pts
79Syria42.2+0.5 pts
80China41.5-0.5 pts
81El Salvador40.4+0.9 pts
82Cape Verde40.2-0.2 pts
83Jamaica40.1-0.4 pts
84Kyrgyzstan40-2.3 pts
85Guatemala39.7-1 pts
86Lesotho39.2-0.2 pts
87Fiji39.2-4 pts
88Philippines38.5-1.4 pts
89Eswatini36-0.2 pts
90Panama35.8+1.1 pts
91Guyana35.6-0.2 pts
92Greece35.1-1 pts
93Venezuela35+0.1 pts
94Turkmenistan34.8-0.4 pts
95Tajikistan33.7-0.2 pts
96Gabon33.4-0.2 pts
97Türkiye33.4-0.8 pts
98Belize32.5+1.7 pts
99Iraq31.9+0.2 pts
100Namibia31.9-2.1 pts
101Algeria31.4+0.2 pts
102Palestine31.4-1 pts
103Brazil30.5+1.2 pts
104Mexico30.4-0.1 pts
105Botswana30.4-0.2 pts
106Serbia30.2-1.6 pts
107Egypt30.1-1.8 pts
108Costa Rica29.4-0.3 pts
109Lebanon29.4+0.1 pts
110Saint Lucia28.6-0 pts
111Uruguay27+0.5 pts
112Kazakhstan27-1.7 pts
113Libya26.9+0.9 pts
114Malaysia26.6-0.2 pts
115Tunisia26.4+0.3 pts
116Saint Vincent and the Grenadines26.20 pts
117North Macedonia26.1-0.6 pts
118South Korea25.9-0.1 pts
119Poland25.4-0.2 pts
120Equatorial Guinea25.1+0.7 pts
121Cuba24.4+1.3 pts
122Italy24.4-0.3 pts
123Maldives24.3-0.3 pts
124Argentina24.2+0.5 pts
125Chile23.4-0.1 pts
126Bosnia and Herzegovina23.3+1.2 pts
127Suriname22.8+0.6 pts
128Trinidad and Tobago22.2+0.7 pts
129Montenegro20.9+2 pts
130Romania20.7-3.1 pts
131Ukraine20.70 pts
132Mauritius20.3+0.2 pts
133New Zealand20.3-0.1 pts
134French Polynesia19.1-0 pts
135Slovenia17.9-1.9 pts
136Spain17.4-0.5 pts
137Croatia17.4+0.1 pts
138Czechia17.3-0.7 pts
139Portugal17.2-1.3 pts
140Barbados17-0.2 pts
141Iceland16.70 pts
142Australia16.60 pts
143Ireland16.5-0.3 pts
144Guam15.9-0.1 pts
145Slovakia15.50 pts
146Belgium15.2+0.6 pts
147Canada150 pts
148United Kingdom15-0.3 pts
149Netherlands15+0.1 pts
150Switzerland15-0.3 pts
151Cyprus14.9-3 pts
152Jordan14.9+0.1 pts
153Bahamas14.9-0 pts
154South Africa14.6+0.5 pts
155Malta14.6-0.1 pts
156Finland14.3+1.2 pts
157New Caledonia14.3-0 pts
158Singapore14-0.6 pts
159Latvia13.8+0.2 pts
160Austria13.8-0.4 pts
161Estonia12.3-0.1 pts
162Bulgaria12.3-0.5 pts
163Lithuania12.3+0.2 pts
164Israel12+0.3 pts
165Puerto Rico11.8-1.3 pts
166France11.6-0 pts
167Luxembourg11.2+2.5 pts
168Sweden11.1-0.1 pts
169Hungary11-0.3 pts
170Japan10.9-0.4 pts
171Germany10.7-0.2 pts
172Brunei90 pts
173Hong Kong8.9-0.2 pts
174Denmark8.9-0.1 pts
175U.S. Virgin Islands8.4+0.1 pts
176Belarus7.9-0 pts
177Russia7.30 pts
178United States6.9-0 pts
179Macao6.7+0.3 pts
180Norway5.9-0.3 pts
181Oman4.8+0.2 pts
182United Arab Emirates3.6+0.1 pts
183Saudi Arabia3.3-0 pts
184Bahrain2.70 pts
185Kuwait1.20 pts
186Qatar0.50 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. 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, 2015) [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, 2015. World Bank, 8 Oct. 2026, https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.EMP.SELF.ZS. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/self-employed-share/countries?period=2015. 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, 2015. 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?period=2015.

Harvard

World Bank (2026) Self-employed, total (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate) (SL.EMP.SELF.ZS), Countries by self-employed workers, 2015 [Dataset]. Available at: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.EMP.SELF.ZS, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/self-employed-share/countries?period=2015 (Accessed: 18 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{world_countries_by_self_employed_2015,
  author = {{World Bank}},
  title = {{Self-employed, total (\% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate) (SL.EMP.SELF.ZS): Countries by self-employed workers, 2015}},
  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?period=2015. 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, 2015
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?period=2015
Y2  - 2026/10/18
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/self-employed-share/countries?period=2015.
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?

Niger, with 91.2% in 2015, according to the World Bank.

Which country has the lowest self-employed workers?

Qatar, with 0.5% in 2015.

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.

Self-employed workers: other rankings

Countries: more rankings