How many people are self-employed in the UK?

The ONS Labour Force Survey estimates 4.53 million self-employed people in the UK in May to July 2026, published 15 September 2026. The figure is series MGRQ in the monthly labour market release, and annual averages show 4.40 million in 2025, compared with 4.96 million in 2019.

The self-employed include sole traders, freelancers, partners in businesses and people who run their own limited company only if they describe themselves as self-employed. HMRC's Self Assessment data and the ONS workforce jobs series give other measures.

The Labour Force Survey is the only source for self-employment counts, and it has been volatile since 2023 because of low response. Quarter-to-quarter moves are often within the margin of error, so compare longer periods.

Official sources: ONS: self-employed, UK (MGRQ) · ONS: Employment in the UK

The latest figure

The newest value is at Office for National Statistics (ONS). More on it: Number of self-employed people in the UK.

When is the next figure out?

Monthly, usually a Tuesday in the middle of the month, 7am, in the ONS labour market release; next release 20 October 2026

Every official release due in the next two weeks is on the release calendar.

Terms used in this answer

• Employment rate
  The percentage of people in a given age group who are in work. The UK headline rate covers people aged 16 to 64.
• Survey sample
  The group of people or businesses selected to take part in a survey, chosen so that their answers can be used to estimate figures for the whole population.
• Response rate
  The share of people or businesses selected for a survey who actually take part. Lower response rates can make estimates less precise and risk bias.
• Headcount
  A count of individual people, each counted once regardless of how many hours they work or how many posts they hold.
• Rolling average
  An average recalculated each period over a fixed window, such as the latest three months or twelve months, to smooth out short-term ups and downs.

Related questions

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This answer says where the official figures are published and how they are defined. It gives no verdict on any claim. To report an error, send a correction request. More questions about work, pay and employment: all Work, pay and employment questions.