Share of Self-employed people in [industry] out of total employment in Switzerland

Switzerland: Share of Self-employed people in [industry] out of total employment was 38.22 % in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
38.22 %
Change on year
down 8.5%
World rank
42nd
of 68 countries
All-time high
62.5 %
in 2003
All-time low
35.88 %
in 2011
Years of data
25
2000–2024

Share of Self-employed people in [industry] out of total employment in Switzerland, 2000–2024

02040602000201220242000: 59.1 %2001: 58.5 %2002: 58.2 %2003: 62.5 %2004: 62 %2005: 56.8 %2006: 60.5 %2007: 59.8 %2008: 57.3 %2009: 42.2 %2010: 37.9 %2011: 35.9 %2012: 39.3 %2013: 38.2 %2014: 37.3 %2015: 36.4 %2016: 39.5 %2017: 38.5 %2018: 37.6 %2019: 37.6 %2020: 38 %2021: 37.2 %2022: 39.5 %2023: 41.8 %2024: 38.2 %

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in %.

Analysis

Switzerland recorded 38.22 % for share of self-employed people in [industry] out of total employment in 2024.

The figure is down 8.5% on the previous year and up 2.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of self-employed people in [industry] out of total employment in Switzerland peaked at 62.5 % in 2003 and was at its lowest, 35.88 %, in 2011.

Switzerland ranks 42nd of 68 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.

Share of Self-employed people in [industry] out of total employment in Switzerland, year by year

Annual values for Share of Self-employed people in [industry] out of total employment in [industry] by [sex]: Total AFS employment — Value — Male — All age ranges or no breakdown by age — National — Agrifood systems in Switzerland, 2000 to 2024.
Year % Change
2000 59.06 %
2001 58.48 % -1.0%
2002 58.22 % -0.4%
2003 62.5 % +7.4%
2004 62 % -0.8%
2005 56.79 % -8.4%
2006 60.5 % +6.5%
2007 59.83 % -1.1%
2008 57.3 % -4.2%
2009 42.24 % -26.3%
2010 37.87 % -10.3%
2011 35.88 % -5.3%
2012 39.29 % +9.5%
2013 38.22 % -2.7%
2014 37.28 % -2.5%
2015 36.44 % -2.3%
2016 39.48 % +8.3%
2017 38.49 % -2.5%
2018 37.57 % -2.4%
2019 37.63 % +0.2%
2020 38.04 % +1.1%
2021 37.21 % -2.2%
2022 39.46 % +6.0%
2023 41.76 % +5.8%
2024 38.22 % -8.5%

Switzerland compared with similar countries

  • Switzerland's 38.22 % is above the median for high income countries, which is 28.05 %, 1.4× the median. (19 countries reporting)
  • Switzerland's 38.22 % is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 34.92 %, 1.1× the median. (17 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Share of Self-employed people in [industry] out of total employment in Switzerland changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
2009 -26.3% 57.3 % 42.24 %

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 57.69 % 42.24 % 62.5 % 10
2010s 37.81 % 35.88 % 39.48 % 10
2020s 38.94 % 37.21 % 41.76 % 5

Countries ranked near Switzerland

  1. 39 Guatemala 43.3 % compare
  2. 40 Mexico 43.25 % compare
  3. 41 Brazil 42.13 % compare
  4. 43 Mauritius 38.04 % compare
  5. 44 Costa Rica 37.36 % compare
  6. 45 Egypt 36.37 % compare

See the full ranking of 77 places →

More agriculture & rural data for Switzerland

All data for Switzerland →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of self-employed people in [industry] out of total employment in Switzerland?
Share of self-employed people in [industry] out of total employment in Switzerland was 38.22 % in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
What is the highest share of self-employed people in [industry] out of total employment recorded in Switzerland?
The highest recorded value was 62.5 % in 2003.
What is the lowest share of self-employed people in [industry] out of total employment recorded in Switzerland?
The lowest recorded value was 35.88 % in 2011.
How does Switzerland rank for share of self-employed people in [industry] out of total employment?
Switzerland ranks 42nd out of 68 countries with data for 2024.
Is share of self-employed people in [industry] out of total employment rising or falling in Switzerland?
Over the last ten years it is up 2.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Switzerland data come from?
The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Share of Self-employed people in [industry] out of total employment in [industry] by [sex]: Total AFS employment — Value — Male — All age ranges or no breakdown by age — National — Agrifood systems. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of Self-employed people in [industry] out of total employment in Switzerland. Statizoid, drawing on Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Retrieved 18 September 2026, from https://agriculture.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-self-employed-people-in-industry-out-of-total-employment-in-industry-by-sex-3/switzerland/

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<a href="https://agriculture.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-self-employed-people-in-industry-out-of-total-employment-in-industry-by-sex-3/switzerland/">Share of Self-employed people in [industry] out of total employment in Switzerland</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Share of Self-employed people in [industry] out of total employment in [industry] by [sex]: Total AFS employment — Value — Male — All age ranges or no breakdown by age — National — Agrifood systems
Unit
%
Source
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Licence
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO)
Coverage
77 places, 1,154 data points, 2000–2025
Last refreshed

The Suite of Gender Indicators presents a set of indicators relevant to agrifood systems that are disaggregated by sex, with the aim of highlighting gender differences across agrifood systems. The initial set of indicators is based on those used in FAO’s 2023 Status of Women in Agrifood Systems (SWAFS) report and on the recommendations of an expert consultation held in December 2023, and covers key dimensions including economic participation, governance, agency, social norms, assets and services, education, health, and nutrition. Indicator selection was informed by expert judgment and by the availability of data with sufficient geographic and temporal coverage to enable meaningful comparisons across regions and over time. While most indicators are produced and published by FAO and other international organizations, the objective of this domain is to provide a one-stop shop for sex-disaggregated data on agrifood systems.