Data / Rankings / Self-employed workers / Countries

Countries by self-employed workers

Chad had the highest self-employed workers of 186 countries in 2021, at 91.3%. Qatar had the lowest, at 0.8%. The median was 33.1% and the figure for the World was 46.6%. Source: the World Bank.

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Highest91.3Chad
Lowest0.8Qatar
Median33.1186 countries
World46.6History

Map of countries, 2021

United Arab Emirates: 4.4 %Afghanistan: 82.3 %Albania: 52.1 %Armenia: 36.8 %Angola: 75.3 %Argentina: 27.6 %Austria: 12.7 %Australia: 16.8 %Azerbaijan: 67.6 %Bosnia and Herzegovina: 23.4 %Bangladesh: 61.7 %Belgium: 14.5 %Burkina Faso: 83.4 %Bulgaria: 11.2 %Burundi: 85 %Benin: 81.9 %Brunei: 7.9 %Bolivia: 69.3 %Brazil: 33.5 %Bahamas: 15.8 %Bhutan: 70.8 %Botswana: 28.6 %Belarus: 7.6 %Belize: 35.6 %Canada: 14 %Democratic Republic of the Congo: 86.1 %Central African Republic: 85.8 %Republic of the Congo: 77 %Switzerland: 15.6 %Côte d’Ivoire: 72.9 %Chile: 24.9 %Cameroon: 70.2 %China: 39.3 %Colombia: 47.4 %Costa Rica: 28.3 %Cuba: 26 %Cape Verde: 40.2 %Cyprus: 11.9 %Czechia: 16 %Germany: 9 %Djibouti: 51.9 %Denmark: 8.8 %Dominican Republic: 43.9 %Algeria: 30.8 %Ecuador: 54.5 %Estonia: 12 %Egypt: 27.4 %Eritrea: 53.1 %Spain: 16.1 %Ethiopia: 85.5 %Finland: 13.9 %Fiji: 35.1 %France: 12.6 %Gabon: 32.5 %United Kingdom: 13.6 %Georgia: 49.1 %Ghana: 68.7 %Gambia: 70.8 %Guinea: 83.1 %Equatorial Guinea: 26.5 %Greece: 31.8 %Guatemala: 46.2 %Guinea-Bissau: 76.3 %Guyana: 35.8 %Hong Kong: 8.4 %Honduras: 45.2 %Croatia: 14.9 %Haiti: 76.8 %Hungary: 12.6 %Indonesia: 53.1 %Ireland: 14.2 %Israel: 11.2 %India: 76.7 %Iraq: 31.4 %Iran: 42.8 %Iceland: 17 %Italy: 21.8 %Jamaica: 38.4 %Jordan: 11.7 %Japan: 10.4 %Kenya: 65.9 %Kyrgyzstan: 32.3 %Cambodia: 56.6 %North Korea: 62.2 %South Korea: 23.9 %Kuwait: 2.8 %Kazakhstan: 26.4 %Laos: 78.2 %Lebanon: 28.3 %Sri Lanka: 42.7 %Liberia: 79.3 %Lesotho: 38.6 %Lithuania: 11.6 %Luxembourg: 11.9 %Latvia: 13.1 %Libya: 26.7 %Morocco: 41 %Moldova: 59.1 %Montenegro: 19.2 %Madagascar: 89 %North Macedonia: 16.9 %Mali: 81.1 %Myanmar: 65.2 %Mongolia: 44.3 %Mauritania: 58.4 %Mauritius: 19 %Malawi: 61.5 %Mexico: 31.9 %Malaysia: 25.8 %Mozambique: 85.7 %Namibia: 37.2 %New Caledonia: 16.9 %Niger: 90.6 %Nigeria: 87.1 %Nicaragua: 45.2 %Netherlands: 15.8 %Norway: 4.9 %Nepal: 79.6 %New Zealand: 19.4 %Oman: 5.1 %Panama: 40.9 %Peru: 53 %French Polynesia: 18.8 %Papua New Guinea: 79.2 %Philippines: 36.4 %Pakistan: 57.8 %Poland: 22.8 %Puerto Rico: 12.7 %Palestine: 27.8 %Portugal: 15.6 %Paraguay: 44.2 %Qatar: 0.8 %Romania: 15.1 %Serbia: 27.4 %Russia: 6.7 %Rwanda: 37.9 %Saudi Arabia: 6.6 %Solomon Islands: 70.4 %Sudan: 47 %Sweden: 10.6 %Singapore: 13.6 %Slovenia: 14.5 %Slovakia: 14.9 %Sierra Leone: 89.7 %Senegal: 65.7 %Somalia: 52.3 %Suriname: 22.8 %South Sudan: 83.4 %El Salvador: 36.8 %Syria: 42.7 %Eswatini: 32.1 %Chad: 91.3 %Togo: 78.9 %Thailand: 52.7 %Tajikistan: 32.4 %Timor-Leste: 74.8 %Turkmenistan: 32.7 %Tunisia: 25.2 %Türkiye: 30.1 %Trinidad and Tobago: 24.6 %Tanzania: 86.1 %Ukraine: 21 %Uganda: 81.3 %United States: 6.6 %Uruguay: 28.4 %Uzbekistan: 46.3 %Venezuela: 38.8 %Vietnam: 55.2 %Vanuatu: 60.6 %Samoa: 44.6 %Yemen: 52.2 %South Africa: 17 %Zambia: 73.4 %Zimbabwe: 71.3 %
  • Under 14
  • 14 to 24
  • 24 to 36
  • 36 to 52
  • 52 to 74
  • 74 and over
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%, 2021. 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, 2021

Chad: 91.3 %Chad91.3Niger: 90.6 %Niger90.6Sierra Leone: 89.7 %Sierra Leone89.7Madagascar: 89 %Madagascar89Nigeria: 87.1 %Nigeria87.1Tanzania: 86.1 %Tanzania86.1Democratic Republic of the Congo: 86.1 %Democratic Republic of the Congo86.1Central African Republic: 85.8 %Central African Republic85.8Mozambique: 85.7 %Mozambique85.7Ethiopia: 85.5 %Ethiopia85.5Burundi: 85 %Burundi85South Sudan: 83.4 %South Sudan83.4Burkina Faso: 83.4 %Burkina Faso83.4Guinea: 83.1 %Guinea83.1Afghanistan: 82.3 %Afghanistan82.3Benin: 81.9 %Benin81.9Uganda: 81.3 %Uganda81.3Mali: 81.1 %Mali81.1Nepal: 79.6 %Nepal79.6Liberia: 79.3 %Liberia79.3Papua New Guinea: 79.2 %Papua New Guinea79.2Togo: 78.9 %Togo78.9Laos: 78.2 %Laos78.2Republic of the Congo: 77 %Republic of the Congo77Haiti: 76.8 %Haiti76.8India: 76.7 %India76.7Guinea-Bissau: 76.3 %Guinea-Bissau76.3Angola: 75.3 %Angola75.3Timor-Leste: 74.8 %Timor-Leste74.8Zambia: 73.4 %Zambia73.4Côte d’Ivoire: 72.9 %Côte d’Ivoire72.9Zimbabwe: 71.3 %Zimbabwe71.3Bhutan: 70.8 %Bhutan70.8Gambia: 70.8 %Gambia70.8Solomon Islands: 70.4 %Solomon Islands70.4Cameroon: 70.2 %Cameroon70.2Bolivia: 69.3 %Bolivia69.3Ghana: 68.7 %Ghana68.7Azerbaijan: 67.6 %Azerbaijan67.6Kenya: 65.9 %Kenya65.9Chad: 91.3 %Chad91.3Niger: 90.6 %Niger90.6Sierra Leone: 89.7 %Sierra Leone89.7Madagascar: 89 %Madagascar89Nigeria: 87.1 %Nigeria87.1Tanzania: 86.1 %Tanzania86.1Democratic Republic of the Congo: 86.1 %Democratic Republic of the Congo86.1Central African Republic: 85.8 %Central African Republic85.8Mozambique: 85.7 %Mozambique85.7Ethiopia: 85.5 %Ethiopia85.5Burundi: 85 %Burundi85South Sudan: 83.4 %South Sudan83.4Burkina Faso: 83.4 %Burkina Faso83.4Guinea: 83.1 %Guinea83.1Afghanistan: 82.3 %Afghanistan82.3Benin: 81.9 %Benin81.9Uganda: 81.3 %Uganda81.3Mali: 81.1 %Mali81.1Nepal: 79.6 %Nepal79.6Liberia: 79.3 %Liberia79.3Papua New Guinea: 79.2 %Papua New Guinea79.2Togo: 78.9 %Togo78.9Laos: 78.2 %Laos78.2Republic of the Congo: 77 %Republic of the Congo77Haiti: 76.8 %Haiti76.8India: 76.7 %India76.7Guinea-Bissau: 76.3 %Guinea-Bissau76.3Angola: 75.3 %Angola75.3Timor-Leste: 74.8 %Timor-Leste74.8Zambia: 73.4 %Zambia73.4Côte d’Ivoire: 72.9 %Côte d’Ivoire72.9Zimbabwe: 71.3 %Zimbabwe71.3Bhutan: 70.8 %Bhutan70.8Gambia: 70.8 %Gambia70.8Solomon Islands: 70.4 %Solomon Islands70.4Cameroon: 70.2 %Cameroon70.2Bolivia: 69.3 %Bolivia69.3Ghana: 68.7 %Ghana68.7Azerbaijan: 67.6 %Azerbaijan67.6Kenya: 65.9 %Kenya65.9
%. Source: World Bank (modelled estimate), Self-employed, total (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate) (SL.EMP.SELF.ZS). Retrieved 2026-10-18.

Full ranking

RankCountries2021 (%)Change on 2020
1Chad91.3-0.5 pts
2Niger90.6-0.8 pts
3Sierra Leone89.7-0.5 pts
4Madagascar89-0.5 pts
5Nigeria87.1-0.5 pts
6Tanzania86.1-0.4 pts
7Democratic Republic of the Congo86.1-0.4 pts
8Central African Republic85.8-0.5 pts
9Mozambique85.7-0.4 pts
10Ethiopia85.5-0.4 pts
11Burundi85-0.5 pts
12South Sudan83.4-0.5 pts
13Burkina Faso83.4-0.8 pts
14Guinea83.1-0.4 pts
15Afghanistan82.3-2 pts
16Benin81.9-1.2 pts
17Uganda81.3+0.4 pts
18Mali81.1-4.2 pts
19Nepal79.6-0.4 pts
20Liberia79.3-0.5 pts
21Papua New Guinea79.2-0.5 pts
22Togo78.9-1.5 pts
23Laos78.2-0.4 pts
24Republic of the Congo77-0.5 pts
25Haiti76.8-0.5 pts
26India76.7-0.5 pts
27Guinea-Bissau76.3-0.4 pts
28Angola75.3-0.1 pts
29Timor-Leste74.8-0.4 pts
30Zambia73.4-2 pts
31Côte d’Ivoire72.9-1 pts
32Zimbabwe71.3-0 pts
33Bhutan70.8-0.5 pts
34Gambia70.8-1 pts
35Solomon Islands70.4-0.6 pts
36Cameroon70.2-1.4 pts
37Bolivia69.3-0.5 pts
38Ghana68.7-1.5 pts
39Azerbaijan67.6-0.4 pts
40Kenya65.9+1.5 pts
41Senegal65.7-0.8 pts
42Myanmar65.2-0.5 pts
43North Korea62.2-0.5 pts
44Bangladesh61.7+0.2 pts
45Malawi61.5-0.5 pts
46Vanuatu60.6-0.5 pts
47Moldova59.1-0.3 pts
48Mauritania58.4-0.5 pts
49Comoros58.2-0.5 pts
50Pakistan57.8-1.3 pts
51Cambodia56.6-0.4 pts
52Vietnam55.2-0.6 pts
53Ecuador54.5+0.2 pts
54Eritrea53.1-0.4 pts
55Indonesia53.1-0.4 pts
56Peru53-2.9 pts
57Thailand52.7+2.2 pts
58Somalia52.3-0.5 pts
59Yemen52.2-0.7 pts
60Albania52.1-1.7 pts
61Djibouti51.9-0.4 pts
62Georgia49.1-0.8 pts
63Colombia47.4+0.1 pts
64Sudan47-0.8 pts
65Uzbekistan46.3-0.3 pts
66Guatemala46.2+4.5 pts
67Tonga45.9-2.2 pts
68Nicaragua45.2-0.4 pts
69Honduras45.2-0.4 pts
70Samoa44.6-0.5 pts
71São Tomé and Príncipe44.4-0.5 pts
72Mongolia44.3-0.8 pts
73Paraguay44.2-1.3 pts
74Dominican Republic43.9+0.8 pts
75Iran42.8-1 pts
76Sri Lanka42.7+0.2 pts
77Syria42.7-0.6 pts
78Morocco41-0.4 pts
79Panama40.9-0.4 pts
80Cape Verde40.2-0.3 pts
81China39.3-0.3 pts
82Venezuela38.8-0.9 pts
83Lesotho38.6-0.5 pts
84Jamaica38.4-0.3 pts
85Rwanda37.9-5.6 pts
86Namibia37.2-0.5 pts
87El Salvador36.8-2 pts
88Armenia36.8-2.9 pts
89Philippines36.4-0.3 pts
90Guyana35.8+0.5 pts
91Belize35.6-0.4 pts
92Fiji35.1-0.4 pts
93Brazil33.5+1 pts
94Turkmenistan32.7-0.3 pts
95Gabon32.5-0.5 pts
96Tajikistan32.4-0.2 pts
97Kyrgyzstan32.3-1.7 pts
98Eswatini32.1-1.1 pts
99Mexico31.9+1.5 pts
100Greece31.8-0.2 pts
101Iraq31.4+0.1 pts
102Algeria30.8-0.5 pts
103Saint Lucia30.1+1 pts
104Türkiye30.1-0.3 pts
105Botswana28.6-0.4 pts
106Uruguay28.4-0 pts
107Costa Rica28.3-0.5 pts
108Lebanon28.3-0.7 pts
109Palestine27.8+0.1 pts
110Argentina27.6+0.6 pts
111Egypt27.4+0.1 pts
112Serbia27.4+0.4 pts
113Libya26.7-0.5 pts
114Saint Vincent and the Grenadines26.5-0.2 pts
115Equatorial Guinea26.5-0.8 pts
116Kazakhstan26.4-0.2 pts
117Cuba26-0.5 pts
118Malaysia25.8-0.2 pts
119Tunisia25.2-0.5 pts
120Chile24.9-0.2 pts
121Trinidad and Tobago24.6-1 pts
122South Korea23.9-0.5 pts
123Bosnia and Herzegovina23.4-0.3 pts
124Poland22.8-1.5 pts
125Suriname22.8-0.6 pts
126Italy21.8-0.7 pts
127Maldives21-0.4 pts
128Ukraine21-0.3 pts
129Barbados19.5-0.7 pts
130New Zealand19.4-0.2 pts
131Montenegro19.2-2.3 pts
132Mauritius190 pts
133French Polynesia18.8-0.2 pts
134Iceland17+1.3 pts
135South Africa17+0.3 pts
136North Macedonia16.9-0.7 pts
137New Caledonia16.9-0.1 pts
138Australia16.8+0.1 pts
139Spain16.1-0 pts
140Czechia16-0.9 pts
141Guam15.9-0.1 pts
142Netherlands15.8-0.1 pts
143Bahamas15.8+0.6 pts
144Switzerland15.6+1.4 pts
145Portugal15.6-0.1 pts
146Romania15.1-0.4 pts
147Slovakia14.9-0.3 pts
148Croatia14.9+0.1 pts
149Slovenia14.5-0.3 pts
150Belgium14.5-0.9 pts
151Malta14.2-0.4 pts
152Ireland14.2-0.4 pts
153Canada14-1.2 pts
154Finland13.9+0.5 pts
155Singapore13.6-0.2 pts
156United Kingdom13.6-0.9 pts
157Latvia13.1-0.4 pts
158Austria12.7-0.1 pts
159Puerto Rico12.7-0.1 pts
160France12.6+0.2 pts
161Hungary12.6+0.6 pts
162Estonia12-0.1 pts
163Luxembourg11.9+2.4 pts
164Cyprus11.9-1.9 pts
165Jordan11.7+0.5 pts
166Lithuania11.6-0.1 pts
167Bulgaria11.2+0.5 pts
168Israel11.2-0.1 pts
169Sweden10.6-0.1 pts
170Japan10.4+0.5 pts
171U.S. Virgin Islands9.20 pts
172Germany9+0.1 pts
173Denmark8.8+0.3 pts
174Hong Kong8.4-0.3 pts
175Brunei7.9-1.7 pts
176Belarus7.6-0 pts
177Russia6.7-0.1 pts
178Macao6.7-0.1 pts
179United States6.6+0.3 pts
180Saudi Arabia6.6+1 pts
181Oman5.1-0 pts
182Norway4.9-0.1 pts
183United Arab Emirates4.4-0.4 pts
184Kuwait2.8+0.1 pts
185Bahrain2.7-0 pts
186Qatar0.8-0.1 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, 2021) [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, 2021. World Bank, 8 Oct. 2026, https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.EMP.SELF.ZS. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/self-employed-share/countries?period=2021. 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, 2021. 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=2021.

Harvard

World Bank (2026) Self-employed, total (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate) (SL.EMP.SELF.ZS), Countries by self-employed workers, 2021 [Dataset]. Available at: https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.EMP.SELF.ZS, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/self-employed-share/countries?period=2021 (Accessed: 18 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{world_countries_by_self_employed_2021,
  author = {{World Bank}},
  title = {{Self-employed, total (\% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate) (SL.EMP.SELF.ZS): Countries by self-employed workers, 2021}},
  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=2021. 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, 2021
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=2021
Y2  - 2026/10/18
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/self-employed-share/countries?period=2021.
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 91.3% in 2021, according to the World Bank.

Which country has the lowest self-employed workers?

Qatar, with 0.8% in 2021.

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