Self-Employment in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the UK's 12 statistical regions. Self-employment here means residents who work for themselves — sole traders, freelancers, contractors and partners — rather than as employees. According to the Office for National Statistics, 134,126 people were self-employed in Northern Ireland in 2019, equal to 15.5% of the region's workforce.
Quick answer
How Northern Ireland compares to the UK
Northern Ireland ranks 12th of 12 UK regions by the number of self-employed people and 5th by self-employment rate. Its 15.5% rate is above the UK-wide figure of 13.4% (Jan-Mar 2026). See all 12 UK regions →
Frequently asked questions
- How many people are self-employed in Northern Ireland?
- 134,126 people are self-employed in Northern Ireland as of 2019, making up 15.5% of the region's workforce. Source: ONS Annual Population Survey 2019 (Self-employment by NUTS1 region), OGL v3.0.
- What is the self-employment rate in Northern Ireland?
- The self-employment rate in Northern Ireland is 15.5% (2019), which is above the UK figure of 13.4%. Northern Ireland ranks 5th out of 12 UK regions by self-employment rate.
- Where does Northern Ireland rank in the UK for self-employment?
- Northern Ireland ranks 12th of 12 UK regions by the number of self-employed people (134,126) and 5th by self-employment rate (15.5%).
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.