Self-Employment in South West
South West 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, 479,897 people were self-employed in South West in 2019, equal to 17.3% of the region's workforce.
Quick answer
How South West compares to the UK
South West ranks 5th of 12 UK regions by the number of self-employed people and 2nd by self-employment rate. Its 17.3% 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 South West?
- 479,897 people are self-employed in South West as of 2019, making up 17.3% 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 South West?
- The self-employment rate in South West is 17.3% (2019), which is above the UK figure of 13.4%. South West ranks 2nd out of 12 UK regions by self-employment rate.
- Where does South West rank in the UK for self-employment?
- South West ranks 5th of 12 UK regions by the number of self-employed people (479,897) and 2nd by self-employment rate (17.3%).
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.