Own-account workers, male (% of male employment) in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income): Own-account workers, male (% of male employment) was 49.2% in 2016. ▼ Falling
Own-account workers, male (% of male employment) in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), 1991–2016
Source: International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT database. Data retrieved in March 2017.
Analysis
In 2016, own-account workers, male (% of male employment) in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) stood at 49.2%. That is the lowest value across all 26 years on record.
That represents a change of down 1.3% on the previous year and down 6.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, own-account workers, male (% of male employment) in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) peaked at 55.1% in 1995 and was at its lowest, 49.2%, in 2016.
That places Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) 5th out of 25 groups with data for 2016, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 26 years of available data.
Own-account workers, male (% of male employment) in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 54.6% | — |
| 1992 | 54.6% | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 54.9% | +0.5% |
| 1994 | 53.9% | -1.8% |
| 1995 | 55.1% | +2.4% |
| 1996 | 55.1% | -0.1% |
| 1997 | 55.0% | -0.2% |
| 1998 | 55.1% | +0.2% |
| 1999 | 54.2% | -1.7% |
| 2000 | 53.5% | -1.2% |
| 2001 | 54.1% | +1.0% |
| 2002 | 54.0% | -0.2% |
| 2003 | 54.0% | +0.1% |
| 2004 | 53.3% | -1.2% |
| 2005 | 53.7% | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 52.7% | -1.9% |
| 2007 | 50.7% | -3.7% |
| 2008 | 51.1% | +0.7% |
| 2009 | 51.4% | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 51.2% | -0.3% |
| 2011 | 49.9% | -2.6% |
| 2012 | 49.8% | -0.2% |
| 2013 | 49.5% | -0.6% |
| 2014 | 49.9% | +0.8% |
| 2015 | 49.8% | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 49.2% | -1.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 54.7% | 53.9% | 55.1% | 9 |
| 2000s | 52.8% | 50.7% | 54.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 49.9% | 49.2% | 51.2% | 7 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
More gender data for Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
- Labor force, female 247.09 million (2025)
- Labor force, female, per capita 0.187 units per person (2025)
- Labor force, female, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Labor force, female, annual growth rate 2.97 % change on previous year (2025)
- Labor force, female, per square kilometre 9.83 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Incidence of HIV, ages 15-49, female 1.12 per 1,000 uninfected female population ages 15-49 (2024)
- Incidence of HIV, ages 15-49, male 0.5884 per 1,000 uninfected male population ages 15-49 (2024)
- Incidence of HIV, ages 15-24, female 1.38 per 1,000 uninfected female population ages 15-24 (2024)
- Incidence of HIV, ages 15-24, male 0.4268 per 1,000 uninfected male population ages 15-24 (2024)
- Ratio of female to male youth unemployment rate (% ages 15-24) 127.7% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is own-account workers, male (% of male employment) in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Own-account workers, male (% of male employment) in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) was 49.2% in 2016, according to International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT database. Data retrieved in March 2017.
- What is the highest own-account workers, male (% of male employment) recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 55.1% in 1995.
- What is the lowest own-account workers, male (% of male employment) recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 49.2% in 2016.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) rank for own-account workers, male (% of male employment)?
- Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 5th out of 25 groups with data for 2016.
- Is own-account workers, male (% of male employment) rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT database. Data retrieved in March 2017, published as part of Own-account workers, male (% of male employment) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
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".