Self-Employment: West Midlands vs East Midlands
Comparing self-employment in West Midlands and East Midlands using official ONS figures. In 2019, 389,314 people were self-employed in West Midlands (14.1% of the workforce) versus 329,491 in East Midlands (14.0%). West Midlands has the higher self-employment rate, by 0.1%.
Quick answer
Side by side
| Measure | West Midlands | East Midlands |
|---|---|---|
| Self-employed people | 389,314 | 329,491 |
| Self-employment rate | 14.1% | 14.0% |
| Rank by rate (of 12) | 7th | 9th |
| Rank by number (of 12) | 6th | 9th |
| Reference period | 2019 | 2019 |
Ranks are across all 12 UK statistical regions. The self-employed count and rate are the latest ONS regional figures (2019); the national rate is from ONS EMP14 (Jan-Mar 2026) and is not directly comparable to the regional counts.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has a higher self-employment rate, West Midlands or East Midlands?
- West Midlands has the higher self-employment rate: 14.1% vs 14.0% — a gap of 0.1%. Source: ONS Annual Population Survey (2019).
- How many people are self-employed in West Midlands and East Midlands?
- 389,314 people are self-employed in West Midlands and 329,491 in East Midlands (ONS, 2019). That is a difference of 59,823 people, with West Midlands having more.
- How do West Midlands and East Midlands rank in the UK for self-employment?
- Out of the 12 UK regions, West Midlands ranks 7th by self-employment rate and East Midlands ranks 9th. Both are measured against the UK-wide rate of 13.4% (Jan-Mar 2026).
- Is self-employment growing faster in West Midlands or East Midlands?
- The ONS regional breakdown reports a point-in-time count and rate for 2019, not a growth rate, so a like-for-like growth comparison is not available from this dataset. What it does show is that West Midlands has the higher self-employment rate of the two (14.1%).
Related comparisons
Source: Office for National Statistics (ONS), Self-employment by NUTS1 (region) (2019, released 2020-04-17). Survey source: Annual Population Survey (regional, 2018-based weights) / Labour Force Survey (national). Licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Data accessed and verified 2026-06-27.