Statizoid

Own-account workers, female (% of female employment) (modeled ILO estimate) by country

Own-account workers are workers who, working on their own account or with one or more more partners, hold the types of jobs defined as "self-employment jobs" and have not engaged on a continuous basis any employees to work for them. Own account workers are a subcategory of "self-employed".

Countries reporting
187
Highest
87.5%
Sierra Leone
Lowest
0.1%
Qatar
Median
19.2%
Years covered
26
1991–2016
Data points
5,537

What the numbers show

Own-account workers, female (% of female employment) (modeled ILO estimate) is currently reported for 187 countries. The highest value is 87.5% in Sierra Leone; the lowest is 0.1% in Qatar.

The median across all reporting countries is 19.2%, and the mean is 25.2%.

The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 1,563.

Over the past decade 104 countries rose and 83 fell. The largest increase was in Qatar (up 460.0%), and the largest decrease in Croatia (down 64.4%).

Own-account workers, female (% of female employment): full country ranking

#Country LatestYear 10-year changeTrend
1 Sierra Leone 87.5% 2016 up 1.4% rising
2 Congo 87.0% 2016 up 2.6% falling
3 Somalia 87.0% 2016 down 0.2% flat
4 Haiti 86.0% 2016 up 0.6% flat
5 Burundi 85.1% 2016 down 1.8% falling
6 Cameroon 79.6% 2016 up 2.9% rising
7 Nigeria 77.1% 2016 up 2.8% rising
8 Rwanda 75.9% 2016 down 6.5% rising
9 Benin 75.0% 2016 down 0.2% falling
10 Guinea-Bissau 74.1% 2016 up 5.0% falling
11 Togo 72.1% 2016 up 15.8% rising
12 Central African Republic 72.1% 2016 down 12.7% flat
13 Liberia 69.9% 2016 up 4.0% flat
14 Angola 68.9% 2016 up 3.1% flat
15 Vanuatu 68.2% 2016 up 0.5% flat
16 Zimbabwe 66.2% 2016 down 10.4% rising
17 Côte d'Ivoire 63.6% 2016 up 6.6% falling
18 Gambia 63.3% 2016 down 7.9% rising
19 Uganda 60.7% 2016 up 3.6% falling
20 Comoros 58.5% 2016 down 4.1% falling
21 Niger 58.5% 2016 down 11.7% rising
22 Malawi 57.7% 2016 down 5.3% falling
23 India 54.7% 2016 up 8.2% falling
24 Guinea 53.3% 2016 down 0.9% flat
25 Mali 50.7% 2016 up 9.6% falling
26 Lesotho 48.1% 2016 up 0.7% flat
27 Chad 47.8% 2016 up 11.7% falling
28 Ghana 46.0% 2016 down 32.1% falling
29 Papua New Guinea 44.3% 2016 up 27.9% flat
30 Tajikistan 43.2% 2016 up 1.0% rising
31 Mauritania 43.0% 2016 up 45.0% falling
32 Lao People's Democratic Republic 43.0% 2016 up 3.8% falling
33 Colombia 41.1% 2016 up 32.3% rising
34 Mozambique 40.4% 2016 up 0.3% falling
35 Viet Nam 40.3% 2016 down 6.0% rising
36 Gabon 40.1% 2016 up 7.3% falling
37 Mongolia 40.0% 2016 up 87.5% rising
38 Tonga 39.6% 2016 up 3.9% rising
39 Nicaragua 38.9% 2016 up 6.5% rising
40 Tanzania, United Republic of 38.1% 2016 down 52.3% falling
41 Honduras 37.4% 2016 down 6.9% rising
42 Bhutan 36.1% 2016 up 142.4% rising
43 El Salvador 35.8% 2016 down 6.3% falling
44 Ecuador 35.6% 2016 up 18.9% flat
45 Peru 35.0% 2016 up 6.9% rising
46 Burkina Faso 34.1% 2016 down 13.7% rising
47 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 33.9% 2016 up 14.2% falling
48 Zambia 33.6% 2016 down 6.1% rising
49 Guatemala 33.6% 2016 down 11.3% falling
50 Bangladesh 33.2% 2016 up 42.4% rising
51 Senegal 32.5% 2016 up 16.0% falling
52 Paraguay 32.4% 2016 down 18.9% falling
53 Eritrea 32.4% 2016 down 29.0% falling
54 Armenia 31.0% 2016 up 24.1% rising
55 Cambodia 30.7% 2016 up 34.3% flat
56 Samoa 30.4% 2016 up 114.6% volatile
57 Indonesia 30.2% 2016 down 1.0% falling
58 Equatorial Guinea 30.2% 2016 up 13.3% falling
59 Sao Tome and Principe 30.0% 2016 down 12.0% falling
60 Jamaica 28.8% 2016 down 1.7% falling
61 Nepal 28.6% 2016 up 9.0% falling
62 Maldives 28.1% 2016 up 8.8% falling
63 Madagascar 28.0% 2016 up 1.5% falling
64 Eswatini 27.9% 2016 down 1.4% flat
65 Myanmar 27.8% 2016 up 3.3% rising
66 Philippines 27.7% 2016 down 2.8% flat
67 Guam 27.4% 2016 down 3.5% flat
68 Namibia 27.1% 2016 down 32.5% rising
69 Thailand 27.0% 2016 up 8.3% rising
70 Dominican Republic 26.4% 2016 up 1.5% flat
71 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 25.8% 2016 up 0.9% flat
72 Algeria 25.6% 2016 up 31.5% falling
73 Belize 25.4% 2016 up 46.2% rising
74 Yemen 25.2% 2016 down 14.3% falling
75 Kazakhstan 24.4% 2016 down 29.2% falling
76 Saint Lucia 24.2% 2016 down 2.5% rising
77 Sri Lanka 24.0% 2016 up 5.8% rising
78 Panama 23.9% 2016 up 16.0% rising
79 Cape Verde 23.8% 2016 down 0.9% falling
80 Iran, Islamic Republic of 23.7% 2016 up 0.9% falling
81 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 23.2% 2016 down 5.2% flat
82 Mexico 23.0% 2016 up 3.1% rising
83 Kenya 22.7% 2016 up 109.1% rising
84 Sudan 22.4% 2016 up 30.4% falling
85 Libya 22.2% 2016 up 28.7% falling
86 Georgia 21.9% 2016 down 15.0% rising
87 United States Virgin Islands 21.7% 2016 up 2.0% flat
88 Guyana 21.3% 2016 up 12.8% rising
89 China 21.2% 2016 up 24.8% rising
90 Chile 20.7% 2016 down 3.8% rising
91 Azerbaijan 20.7% 2016 down 45.5% falling
92 Uruguay 20.5% 2016 up 0.8% rising
93 Pakistan 20.4% 2016 up 36.3% rising
94 Republic of Moldova 19.2% 2016 down 0.1% flat
95 Brazil 19.0% 2016 up 9.4% falling
96 Greece 18.7% 2016 up 12.1% rising
97 Ethiopia 18.0% 2016 down 32.0% falling
98 Djibouti 17.7% 2016 down 2.2% flat
99 Palestine, State of 17.6% 2016 down 4.2% falling
100 Malaysia 17.4% 2016 up 53.6% rising
101 Bahamas 17.3% 2016 up 93.2% rising
102 Fiji 17.2% 2016 up 1.0% flat
103 Kyrgyzstan 16.9% 2016 down 39.6% falling
104 Albania 16.7% 2016 down 31.3% falling
105 Argentina 16.4% 2016 up 3.4% falling
106 Morocco 16.4% 2016 up 66.5% rising
107 Uzbekistan 16.4% 2016 down 15.3% falling
108 North Macedonia 15.6% 2016 down 5.6% rising
109 Turkmenistan 15.4% 2016 up 5.4% falling
110 Timor-Leste 14.8% 2016 up 78.2% falling
111 Ukraine 13.8% 2016 down 15.0% rising
112 Iraq 13.7% 2016 up 16.4% falling
113 Korea 13.7% 2016 down 26.0% falling
114 Solomon Islands 13.1% 2016 down 1.9% falling
115 Bosnia and Herzegovina 12.9% 2016 down 16.7% rising
116 Costa Rica 12.4% 2016 down 32.5% falling
117 Botswana 12.3% 2016 up 29.0% falling
118 Italy 12.3% 2016 down 10.4% rising
119 Tunisia 11.7% 2016 down 19.9% falling
120 Serbia 11.6% 2016 up 39.5% falling
121 Barbados 11.2% 2016 down 1.0% rising
122 Afghanistan 11.1% 2016 up 13.2% rising
123 Romania 11.1% 2016 down 9.0% falling
124 Trinidad and Tobago 11.0% 2016 up 2.5% falling
125 Czechia 10.7% 2016 up 44.6% rising
126 Poland 10.5% 2016 down 18.0% falling
127 French Polynesia 10.4% 2016 down 1.5% falling
128 Netherlands 10.3% 2016 up 47.9% rising
129 Korea, Democratic People's Republic of 10.1% 2016 down 1.5% falling
130 Lebanon 9.9% 2016 up 1.5% flat
131 Portugal 9.7% 2016 down 46.8% falling
132 Oman 9.4% 2016 up 6.6% rising
133 New Zealand 9.3% 2016 up 17.6% flat
134 Mauritius 9.3% 2016 down 4.0% rising
135 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 9.1% 2016 up 47.1% rising
136 South Sudan 9.1% 2016 up 11.5% rising
137 South Africa 9.0% 2016 down 42.9% falling
138 Canada 9.0% 2016 up 10.4% rising
139 Israel 8.9% 2016 up 59.8% rising
140 Türkiye 8.8% 2016 down 29.3% falling
141 Spain 8.8% 2016 up 3.6% falling
142 Slovakia 8.6% 2016 up 57.2% rising
143 Puerto Rico 8.5% 2016 up 19.4% rising
144 Suriname 8.5% 2016 down 0.7% flat
145 Cyprus 8.4% 2016 down 12.4% falling
146 Egypt 8.4% 2016 down 22.9% falling
147 Australia 8.1% 2016 up 0.4% falling
148 Cuba 7.9% 2016 up 77.5% rising
149 Syrian Arab Republic 7.8% 2016 down 13.8% falling
150 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 7.8% 2016 down 4.7% falling
151 Belgium 7.1% 2016 up 10.1% falling
152 Switzerland 7.1% 2016 down 0.7% rising
153 Lithuania 7.1% 2016 down 26.1% falling
154 Finland 6.9% 2016 up 18.9% falling
155 Channel Islands 6.8% 2016 up 5.3% flat
156 Latvia 6.8% 2016 up 13.6% falling
157 Montenegro 6.1% 2016 down 56.4% falling
158 New Caledonia 6.1% 2016 up 0.8% rising
159 Bulgaria 6.0% 2016 down 0.3% falling
160 Austria 5.9% 2016 down 1.4% flat
161 Slovenia 5.7% 2016 up 40.2% flat
162 France 5.5% 2016 up 30.3% rising
163 Iceland 5.3% 2016 up 5.3% falling
164 Singapore 5.2% 2016 down 15.5% rising
165 Croatia 5.2% 2016 down 64.4% rising
166 Russian Federation 5.1% 2016 down 10.6% volatile
167 Luxembourg 5.1% 2016 up 9.8% rising
168 Ireland 5.1% 2016 up 38.3% falling
169 United States of America 5.0% 2016 down 12.7% falling
170 Germany 4.7% 2016 down 4.7% rising
171 Hungary 4.7% 2016 down 7.4% falling
172 Malta 4.5% 2016 up 5.3% rising
173 Estonia 4.4% 2016 up 25.2% rising
174 Sweden 4.2% 2016 up 6.1% falling
175 Brunei Darussalam 4.0% 2016 down 12.5% rising
176 Japan 4.0% 2016 down 34.3% falling
177 Norway 3.5% 2016 up 5.5% falling
178 Hong Kong, China 3.4% 2016 down 5.5% rising
179 Denmark 3.3% 2016 up 17.5% rising
180 Jordan 2.1% 2016 down 35.6% falling
181 Macau, China 2.0% 2016 down 30.0% falling
182 Belarus 1.8% 2016 up 3.4% flat
183 Saudi Arabia 1.2% 2016 down 46.8% falling
184 Bahrain 0.4% 2016 up 16.6% falling
185 Kuwait 0.3% 2016 up 2.6% falling
186 United Arab Emirates 0.2% 2016 down 33.1% falling
187 Qatar 0.1% 2016 up 460.0% volatile

Regions and income groups

Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.

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Own-account workers, female (% of female employment) by country. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT database. Data retrieved in March 2017. Retrieved 11 September 2026, from https://gender.statizoid.com/stat/own-account-workers-female-percent-of-female-employment-modeled-ilo-estimate/

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About this data

Indicator
Own-account workers, female (% of female employment) (modeled ILO estimate)
Source
International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT database. Data retrieved in March 2017
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
213 places, 5,537 data points, 1991–2016
Last refreshed

Own-account workers are workers who, working on their own account or with one or more more partners, hold the types of jobs defined as "self-employment jobs" and have not engaged on a continuous basis any employees to work for them. Own account workers are a subcategory of "self-employed".