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

Colombia: Share of Self-employed people in [industry] out of total employment was 42.11 % in 2025. ▼ Falling

Latest (2025)
42.11 %
Change on year
down 1.6%
World rank
22nd
of 68 countries
All-time high
53.35 %
in 2011
All-time low
42.11 %
in 2025
Years of data
23
2002–2025

Share of Self-employed people in [industry] out of total employment in Colombia, 2002–2025

02040602002201320252002: 47.6 %2003: 48.2 %2004: 48.3 %2005: 46.8 %2007: 44.5 %2008: 48.4 %2009: 50.9 %2010: 52.4 %2011: 53.4 %2012: 53.2 %2013: 51.8 %2014: 50.4 %2015: 49.7 %2016: 49.5 %2017: 49.5 %2018: 49.4 %2019: 48.5 %2020: 49.3 %2021: 49.2 %2022: 43.6 %2023: 43.1 %2024: 42.8 %2025: 42.1 %

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

Analysis

In 2025, share of self-employed people in [industry] out of total employment in Colombia stood at 42.11 %. That is the lowest value across all 23 years on record.

The figure is down 1.6% on the previous year and down 15.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of self-employed people in [industry] out of total employment in Colombia peaked at 53.35 % in 2011 and was at its lowest, 42.11 %, in 2025.

Colombia ranks 22nd of 68 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 23 years of available data.

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

Annual values for Share of Self-employed people in [industry] out of total employment in [industry] by [sex]: Total employment — Value — Female — All age ranges or no breakdown by age — National in Colombia, 2002 to 2025.
Year % Change
2002 47.58 %
2003 48.21 % +1.3%
2004 48.32 % +0.2%
2005 46.78 % -3.2%
2007 44.48 % -4.9%
2008 48.35 % +8.7%
2009 50.91 % +5.3%
2010 52.36 % +2.8%
2011 53.35 % +1.9%
2012 53.22 % -0.2%
2013 51.77 % -2.7%
2014 50.36 % -2.7%
2015 49.71 % -1.3%
2016 49.54 % -0.3%
2017 49.51 % -0.1%
2018 49.43 % -0.2%
2019 48.54 % -1.8%
2020 49.34 % +1.6%
2021 49.2 % -0.3%
2022 43.58 % -11.4%
2023 43.12 % -1.1%
2024 42.79 % -0.8%
2025 42.11 % -1.6%

Colombia compared with similar countries

  • Colombia's 42.11 % is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 30.13 %, 1.4× the median. (27 countries reporting)
  • Colombia's 42.11 % is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 30.13 %, 1.4× the median. (17 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 47.8 % 44.48 % 50.91 % 7
2010s 50.78 % 48.54 % 53.35 % 10
2020s 45.02 % 42.11 % 49.34 % 6

Countries ranked near Colombia

  1. 19 Guatemala 48.92 % compare
  2. 20 Honduras 47.35 % compare
  3. 21 Namibia 42.89 % compare
  4. 23 El Salvador 41.04 % compare
  5. 24 Philippines 40.75 % compare
  6. 25 Sri Lanka 37.8 % compare

See the full ranking of 77 places →

More economy & growth data for Colombia

All data for Colombia →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of self-employed people in [industry] out of total employment in Colombia?
Share of self-employed people in [industry] out of total employment in Colombia was 42.11 % in 2025, 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 Colombia?
The highest recorded value was 53.35 % in 2011.
What is the lowest share of self-employed people in [industry] out of total employment recorded in Colombia?
The lowest recorded value was 42.11 % in 2025.
How does Colombia rank for share of self-employed people in [industry] out of total employment?
Colombia ranks 22nd out of 68 countries with data for 2025.
Is share of self-employed people in [industry] out of total employment rising or falling in Colombia?
Over the last ten years it is down 15.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Colombia 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 employment — Value — Female — All age ranges or no breakdown by age — National. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of Self-employed people in [industry] out of total employment in Colombia. Statizoid, drawing on Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Retrieved 18 September 2026, from https://economy.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-self-employed-people-in-industry-out-of-total-employment-in-industry-by-sex-6/colombia/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of Self-employed people in [industry] out of total employment in [industry] by [sex]: Total employment — Value — Female — All age ranges or no breakdown by age — National
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.