Data / Rankings / Self-employed workers / Countries

Countries by self-employed workers

Chad had the highest self-employed workers of 186 countries in 2017, at 91.2%. Qatar had the lowest, at 0.5%. The median was 34.2% and the figure for the World was 46.4%. Source: the World Bank.

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Highest91.2Chad
Lowest0.5Qatar
Median34.2186 countries
World46.4History

Map of countries, 2017

United Arab Emirates: 3.5 %Afghanistan: 83.9 %Albania: 55.8 %Armenia: 42.3 %Angola: 74.7 %Argentina: 25.3 %Austria: 13.1 %Australia: 16.9 %Azerbaijan: 68.3 %Bosnia and Herzegovina: 23.7 %Bangladesh: 60.7 %Belgium: 14.5 %Burkina Faso: 82.9 %Bulgaria: 11.9 %Burundi: 86.3 %Benin: 83.4 %Brunei: 8.9 %Bolivia: 70.7 %Brazil: 31.5 %Bahamas: 14.7 %Bhutan: 72.1 %Botswana: 30 %Belarus: 8.1 %Belize: 33.3 %Canada: 14.9 %Democratic Republic of the Congo: 84.4 %Central African Republic: 85.7 %Republic of the Congo: 76.5 %Switzerland: 15 %Côte d’Ivoire: 74.3 %Chile: 25 %Cameroon: 74.1 %China: 40.5 %Colombia: 47.7 %Costa Rica: 28.2 %Cuba: 26.9 %Cape Verde: 41.1 %Cyprus: 13.2 %Czechia: 17.1 %Germany: 10.3 %Djibouti: 52.2 %Denmark: 8.3 %Dominican Republic: 44.6 %Algeria: 31.7 %Ecuador: 52.3 %Estonia: 12.4 %Egypt: 31.9 %Eritrea: 53.2 %Spain: 16.7 %Ethiopia: 86.2 %Finland: 13 %Fiji: 35.2 %France: 11.6 %Gabon: 33.2 %United Kingdom: 15.4 %Georgia: 52 %Ghana: 73.4 %Gambia: 72.3 %Guinea: 84 %Equatorial Guinea: 26.6 %Greece: 34.2 %Guatemala: 40.5 %Guinea-Bissau: 76.4 %Guyana: 34.9 %Hong Kong: 8.7 %Honduras: 46.8 %Croatia: 15.9 %Haiti: 75.1 %Hungary: 10.3 %Indonesia: 51.7 %Ireland: 15.4 %Israel: 11.9 %India: 78.4 %Iraq: 30.1 %Iran: 45.6 %Iceland: 16.3 %Italy: 23.2 %Jamaica: 39.4 %Jordan: 14.8 %Japan: 10.3 %Kenya: 62.6 %Kyrgyzstan: 35.2 %Cambodia: 57.4 %North Korea: 61.5 %South Korea: 25.4 %Kuwait: 1.9 %Kazakhstan: 26.9 %Laos: 79.7 %Lebanon: 29.6 %Sri Lanka: 42.3 %Liberia: 78.7 %Lesotho: 39 %Lithuania: 12 %Luxembourg: 10.2 %Latvia: 13.2 %Libya: 27.8 %Morocco: 42 %Moldova: 60.4 %Montenegro: 22 %Madagascar: 89.1 %North Macedonia: 23.2 %Mali: 80.5 %Myanmar: 65.9 %Mongolia: 47.2 %Mauritania: 58.8 %Mauritius: 20 %Malawi: 62 %Mexico: 29.7 %Malaysia: 26.3 %Mozambique: 85.9 %Namibia: 33.7 %New Caledonia: 14.3 %Niger: 91 %Nigeria: 87 %Nicaragua: 45.2 %Netherlands: 14.8 %Norway: 5.5 %Nepal: 80.6 %New Zealand: 20 %Oman: 4.9 %Panama: 37.2 %Peru: 55.5 %French Polynesia: 19 %Papua New Guinea: 79.6 %Philippines: 37.2 %Pakistan: 58.3 %Poland: 24.4 %Puerto Rico: 15.4 %Palestine: 29.6 %Portugal: 15.8 %Paraguay: 42.4 %Qatar: 0.5 %Romania: 18.1 %Serbia: 30.6 %Russia: 6.7 %Rwanda: 43.2 %Saudi Arabia: 3 %Solomon Islands: 70.2 %Sudan: 47.5 %Sweden: 10.7 %Singapore: 13.9 %Slovenia: 16.4 %Slovakia: 15.6 %Sierra Leone: 89.1 %Senegal: 70.4 %Somalia: 52.2 %Suriname: 23.4 %South Sudan: 84.8 %El Salvador: 40.3 %Syria: 42.9 %Eswatini: 35 %Chad: 91.2 %Togo: 80.8 %Thailand: 50.6 %Tajikistan: 33.3 %Timor-Leste: 75 %Turkmenistan: 34.1 %Tunisia: 24.5 %Türkiye: 33 %Trinidad and Tobago: 23.8 %Tanzania: 86.7 %Ukraine: 20.8 %Uganda: 78.5 %United States: 6.7 %Uruguay: 27.7 %Uzbekistan: 46.7 %Venezuela: 36.2 %Vietnam: 57.2 %Vanuatu: 63.2 %Samoa: 45.5 %Yemen: 51.5 %South Africa: 15.5 %Zambia: 74.4 %Zimbabwe: 71.1 %
  • Under 15
  • 15 to 25
  • 25 to 35
  • 35 to 52
  • 52 to 74
  • 74 and over
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%, 2017. 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, 2017

Chad: 91.2 %Chad91.2Niger: 91 %Niger91Madagascar: 89.1 %Madagascar89.1Sierra Leone: 89.1 %Sierra Leone89.1Nigeria: 87 %Nigeria87Tanzania: 86.7 %Tanzania86.7Burundi: 86.3 %Burundi86.3Ethiopia: 86.2 %Ethiopia86.2Mozambique: 85.9 %Mozambique85.9Central African Republic: 85.7 %Central African Republic85.7South Sudan: 84.8 %South Sudan84.8Democratic Republic of the Congo: 84.4 %Democratic Republic of the Congo84.4Guinea: 84 %Guinea84Afghanistan: 83.9 %Afghanistan83.9Benin: 83.4 %Benin83.4Burkina Faso: 82.9 %Burkina Faso82.9Togo: 80.8 %Togo80.8Nepal: 80.6 %Nepal80.6Mali: 80.5 %Mali80.5Laos: 79.7 %Laos79.7Papua New Guinea: 79.6 %Papua New Guinea79.6Liberia: 78.7 %Liberia78.7Uganda: 78.5 %Uganda78.5India: 78.4 %India78.4Republic of the Congo: 76.5 %Republic of the Congo76.5Guinea-Bissau: 76.4 %Guinea-Bissau76.4Haiti: 75.1 %Haiti75.1Timor-Leste: 75 %Timor-Leste75Angola: 74.7 %Angola74.7Zambia: 74.4 %Zambia74.4Côte d’Ivoire: 74.3 %Côte d’Ivoire74.3Cameroon: 74.1 %Cameroon74.1Ghana: 73.4 %Ghana73.4Gambia: 72.3 %Gambia72.3Bhutan: 72.1 %Bhutan72.1Zimbabwe: 71.1 %Zimbabwe71.1Bolivia: 70.7 %Bolivia70.7Senegal: 70.4 %Senegal70.4Solomon Islands: 70.2 %Solomon Islands70.2Azerbaijan: 68.3 %Azerbaijan68.3Chad: 91.2 %Chad91.2Niger: 91 %Niger91Madagascar: 89.1 %Madagascar89.1Sierra Leone: 89.1 %Sierra Leone89.1Nigeria: 87 %Nigeria87Tanzania: 86.7 %Tanzania86.7Burundi: 86.3 %Burundi86.3Ethiopia: 86.2 %Ethiopia86.2Mozambique: 85.9 %Mozambique85.9Central African Republic: 85.7 %Central African Republic85.7South Sudan: 84.8 %South Sudan84.8Democratic Republic of the Congo: 84.4 %Democratic Republic of the Congo84.4Guinea: 84 %Guinea84Afghanistan: 83.9 %Afghanistan83.9Benin: 83.4 %Benin83.4Burkina Faso: 82.9 %Burkina Faso82.9Togo: 80.8 %Togo80.8Nepal: 80.6 %Nepal80.6Mali: 80.5 %Mali80.5Laos: 79.7 %Laos79.7Papua New Guinea: 79.6 %Papua New Guinea79.6Liberia: 78.7 %Liberia78.7Uganda: 78.5 %Uganda78.5India: 78.4 %India78.4Republic of the Congo: 76.5 %Republic of the Congo76.5Guinea-Bissau: 76.4 %Guinea-Bissau76.4Haiti: 75.1 %Haiti75.1Timor-Leste: 75 %Timor-Leste75Angola: 74.7 %Angola74.7Zambia: 74.4 %Zambia74.4Côte d’Ivoire: 74.3 %Côte d’Ivoire74.3Cameroon: 74.1 %Cameroon74.1Ghana: 73.4 %Ghana73.4Gambia: 72.3 %Gambia72.3Bhutan: 72.1 %Bhutan72.1Zimbabwe: 71.1 %Zimbabwe71.1Bolivia: 70.7 %Bolivia70.7Senegal: 70.4 %Senegal70.4Solomon Islands: 70.2 %Solomon Islands70.2Azerbaijan: 68.3 %Azerbaijan68.3
%. Source: World Bank (modelled estimate), Self-employed, total (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate) (SL.EMP.SELF.ZS). Retrieved 2026-10-18.

Full ranking

RankCountries2017 (%)Change on 2016
1Chad91.2+0.2 pts
2Niger91-0.1 pts
3Madagascar89.1-0.2 pts
4Sierra Leone89.1-0 pts
5Nigeria87-0.2 pts
6Tanzania86.7-0.3 pts
7Burundi86.3-0.3 pts
8Ethiopia86.2-0.5 pts
9Mozambique85.9-0.2 pts
10Central African Republic85.70 pts
11South Sudan84.8-0.3 pts
12Democratic Republic of the Congo84.4+0.4 pts
13Guinea84-0.8 pts
14Afghanistan83.9-0.9 pts
15Benin83.4-0.3 pts
16Burkina Faso82.9-0 pts
17Togo80.8-0.4 pts
18Nepal80.6-0.3 pts
19Mali80.5-0.7 pts
20Laos79.7-0.5 pts
21Papua New Guinea79.6-0.2 pts
22Liberia78.7-0.1 pts
23Uganda78.50 pts
24India78.4-0.6 pts
25Republic of the Congo76.5+0.1 pts
26Guinea-Bissau76.4-0.2 pts
27Haiti75.10 pts
28Timor-Leste75-0.1 pts
29Angola74.7+0.1 pts
30Zambia74.4-0.2 pts
31Côte d’Ivoire74.3+0.4 pts
32Cameroon74.1-1.2 pts
33Ghana73.4-1.5 pts
34Gambia72.3-0.7 pts
35Bhutan72.1-0.4 pts
36Zimbabwe71.1-0.2 pts
37Bolivia70.7-0.7 pts
38Senegal70.4-1.9 pts
39Solomon Islands70.2-0.1 pts
40Azerbaijan68.3+0.1 pts
41Myanmar65.9-0.2 pts
42Vanuatu63.2-1.1 pts
43Kenya62.6-0.3 pts
44Malawi62-0.1 pts
45North Korea61.50 pts
46Bangladesh60.7-0.2 pts
47Moldova60.4-1.6 pts
48Mauritania58.8+0.3 pts
49Comoros58.4-0.1 pts
50Pakistan58.3-1.2 pts
51Cambodia57.4-0.3 pts
52Vietnam57.2-1.6 pts
53Albania55.8-2.8 pts
54Peru55.5+0.2 pts
55Eritrea53.2+0.1 pts
56Ecuador52.3+0.7 pts
57Somalia52.2-0.4 pts
58Tonga52.2-0.4 pts
59Djibouti52.2-0.4 pts
60Georgia52-1.5 pts
61Indonesia51.7+0.1 pts
62Yemen51.5+0.6 pts
63Thailand50.6-0.3 pts
64Colombia47.7+0.2 pts
65Sudan47.5+0.3 pts
66Mongolia47.2+1.8 pts
67Honduras46.8+4.1 pts
68Uzbekistan46.7-0.2 pts
69Iran45.6+0.4 pts
70Samoa45.5-0.1 pts
71Nicaragua45.2-0.3 pts
72Dominican Republic44.6+0.9 pts
73São Tomé and Príncipe44-0.3 pts
74Rwanda43.2-0.4 pts
75Syria42.9+0.2 pts
76Paraguay42.4-1.9 pts
77Armenia42.3-1.6 pts
78Sri Lanka42.3+0.1 pts
79Morocco42-0.3 pts
80Cape Verde41.1+0.4 pts
81China40.5-0.5 pts
82Guatemala40.5+2.8 pts
83El Salvador40.3+0.2 pts
84Jamaica39.4-0.4 pts
85Lesotho39-0 pts
86Panama37.2-0.7 pts
87Philippines37.2-1 pts
88Venezuela36.2+1 pts
89Kyrgyzstan35.2-3.1 pts
90Fiji35.2-0.2 pts
91Eswatini35-0.8 pts
92Guyana34.9-0.4 pts
93Greece34.2-0 pts
94Turkmenistan34.1-0.3 pts
95Namibia33.7+3.9 pts
96Belize33.3-0.2 pts
97Tajikistan33.3-0.2 pts
98Gabon33.2-0.1 pts
99Türkiye33+0.3 pts
100Egypt31.9+1.8 pts
101Algeria31.7+0.2 pts
102Brazil31.5+0.6 pts
103Serbia30.6-0.9 pts
104Iraq30.1-1.1 pts
105Botswana30-0.2 pts
106Mexico29.7-0.2 pts
107Palestine29.6-1 pts
108Lebanon29.60 pts
109Saint Lucia28.6-0 pts
110Costa Rica28.2-0.1 pts
111Libya27.8+0.2 pts
112Uruguay27.7+0.2 pts
113Cuba26.9+1.3 pts
114Kazakhstan26.9-0 pts
115Equatorial Guinea26.6+0.7 pts
116Malaysia26.3-0.2 pts
117Saint Vincent and the Grenadines26.1-0.1 pts
118South Korea25.4-0.1 pts
119Argentina25.3+0.5 pts
120Chile25+0.9 pts
121Tunisia24.5-2.1 pts
122Poland24.4-0.4 pts
123Trinidad and Tobago23.8+0.3 pts
124Bosnia and Herzegovina23.7+0.2 pts
125Suriname23.4+0.2 pts
126Maldives23.3-0.8 pts
127Italy23.2-0.7 pts
128North Macedonia23.2-0.7 pts
129Montenegro22+0.5 pts
130Ukraine20.8+0.1 pts
131Mauritius200 pts
132New Zealand20-0.2 pts
133Barbados19.6+1.5 pts
134French Polynesia19-0.1 pts
135Romania18.1-0.3 pts
136Czechia17.1-0 pts
137Australia16.9-0.1 pts
138Spain16.70 pts
139Slovenia16.4+0.3 pts
140Iceland16.3-0.2 pts
141Croatia15.9-0.5 pts
142Portugal15.8-0.7 pts
143Guam15.8-0.1 pts
144Slovakia15.6-0.2 pts
145South Africa15.5+0.4 pts
146Ireland15.4-0.8 pts
147Puerto Rico15.4+1.8 pts
148United Kingdom15.4+0.1 pts
149Switzerland15-0 pts
150Canada14.9-0.1 pts
151Jordan14.8-0.2 pts
152Netherlands14.8-0.2 pts
153Bahamas14.7-0 pts
154Malta14.5-0 pts
155Belgium14.5-0.3 pts
156New Caledonia14.3-0 pts
157Singapore13.9-0.1 pts
158Latvia13.2-0.7 pts
159Cyprus13.2-1.1 pts
160Austria13.1-0.3 pts
161Finland13-0.8 pts
162Estonia12.4+0.1 pts
163Lithuania12-0.3 pts
164Israel11.9-0.3 pts
165Bulgaria11.9+0.3 pts
166France11.6-0.2 pts
167Sweden10.7-0.1 pts
168Hungary10.3-0.5 pts
169Japan10.3-0.2 pts
170Germany10.3-0.2 pts
171Luxembourg10.2-1.3 pts
172Brunei8.9-0 pts
173Hong Kong8.7-0 pts
174U.S. Virgin Islands8.6+0.1 pts
175Denmark8.3-0.4 pts
176Belarus8.1+0.2 pts
177United States6.7-0.1 pts
178Russia6.7-0.9 pts
179Macao6.5+0.1 pts
180Norway5.5-0.3 pts
181Oman4.90 pts
182United Arab Emirates3.5-0.1 pts
183Saudi Arabia3-0.2 pts
184Bahrain2.6-0.1 pts
185Kuwait1.9+0.1 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, 2017) [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, 2017. World Bank, 8 Oct. 2026, https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.EMP.SELF.ZS. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/self-employed-share/countries?period=2017. 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, 2017. 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=2017.

Harvard

World Bank (2026) Self-employed, total (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate) (SL.EMP.SELF.ZS), Countries by self-employed workers, 2017 [Dataset]. Available at: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.EMP.SELF.ZS, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/self-employed-share/countries?period=2017 (Accessed: 18 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{world_countries_by_self_employed_2017,
  author = {{World Bank}},
  title = {{Self-employed, total (\% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate) (SL.EMP.SELF.ZS): Countries by self-employed workers, 2017}},
  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=2017. 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, 2017
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=2017
Y2  - 2026/10/18
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/self-employed-share/countries?period=2017.
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 91.2% in 2017, according to the World Bank.

Which country has the lowest self-employed workers?

Qatar, with 0.5% in 2017.

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