Self-employed persons; income, wealth, characteristics

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Person characteristics Sex Self-employed, main income Self-employed persons (x 1 000) Self-employed, main income Self-employed income Median self-employed income (1 000 euro) Self-employed, main income Self-employed wealth Median company capital (1 000 euro) Self-employed, all incomes Self-employed persons (x 1 000) Self-employed, all incomes Self-employed income Median self-employed income (1 000 euro) Self-employed, all incomes Self-employed wealth Median company capital (1 000 euro)
Total persons Total male and female 346.8 56.0 64.6 525.9 30.5 50.6
Male 226.2 61.0 76.6 336.2 40.1 58.0
Female 120.6 39.0 48.0 189.7 18.2 39.9
Age: 75 years or older Total male and female 2.0 28.4 76.5 11.3 5.0 45.8
Male 1.5 32.5 90.7 9.2 5.4 43.0
Female 0.5 . 43.9 2.1 3.6 60.0
Age: Younger than 25 years Total male and female 13.3 22.8 13.5 36.3 4.6 15.1
Male 9.6 25.4 14.4 22.9 6.5 15.1
Female 3.7 17.1 11.3 13.4 2.7 15.2
Age: 25 to 34 years Total male and female 52.5 43.6 24.5 82.6 21.8 18.6
Male 32.7 52.0 28.1 48.8 31.7 20.9
Female 19.7 30.2 19.1 33.8 12.4 15.3
Age: 35 to 44 years Total male and female 78.9 58.3 53.9 107.7 41.6 43.3
Male 48.6 65.0 64.3 63.5 55.6 50.1
Female 30.4 43.1 40.8 44.2 23.8 34.5
Age: 45 to 54 years Total male and female 95.3 65.0 89.3 125.0 51.3 72.2
Male 60.0 72.9 108.2 75.9 60.0 86.3
Female 35.3 51.2 65.9 49.1 32.0 56.7
Age: 55 to 64 years Total male and female 85.3 56.7 103.5 112.1 42.0 83.3
Male 59.0 64.8 123.3 75.9 54.0 97.4
Female 26.3 36.9 73.1 36.2 23.4 61.6
Age: 65 to 74 years Total male and female 19.4 44.9 78.3 51.0 14.2 54.1
Male 14.7 51.6 85.5 40.0 16.2 56.0
Female 4.7 25.6 59.6 11.0 9.0 46.5
Background: Netherlands Total male and female . . . . . .
Male . . . . . .
Female . . . . . .
Background: western Total male and female . . . . . .
Male . . . . . .
Female . . . . . .
Background: non-western Total male and female . . . . . .
Male . . . . . .
Female . . . . . .
Pos. in hh.: main earner Total male and female 219.0 69.0 76.2 334.1 45.8 56.5
Male 166.0 71.2 91.3 248.6 51.3 66.7
Female 53.0 60.1 46.2 85.6 30.6 35.0
Pos. in hh.: main earner without partner Total male and female 66.4 49.9 31.4 108.1 23.5 23.6
Male 40.8 54.1 38.1 63.5 28.7 28.6
Female 25.6 43.2 23.7 44.6 17.4 17.7
Pos. in hh.: main earner with partner Total male and female 152.7 76.0 103.6 226.0 56.0 77.1
Male 125.2 76.2 114.3 185.1 56.5 83.5
Female 27.4 75.6 73.3 40.9 51.4 57.8
Pos. in hh.: partner of main earner Total male and female 105.5 31.9 52.3 147.9 18.8 45.4
Male 43.9 38.6 52.1 57.9 26.3 43.2
Female 61.6 27.2 52.5 90.0 15.0 46.9
Pos. in hh.: child underage Total male and female 0.1 . . 3.7 0.7 47.1
Male 0.1 . . 2.3 0.7 44.9
Female 0.0 . . 1.4 0.6 53.7
Pos. in hh.: child of age Total male and female 18.0 26.6 23.1 34.2 9.0 23.1
Male 13.6 29.5 23.1 23.8 11.8 22.2
Female 4.4 18.6 23.1 10.4 4.8 25.2
Pos. in hh.: other member Total male and female 4.1 25.2 30.9 6.0 14.2 27.5
Male 2.5 29.7 31.9 3.6 18.4 28.1
Female 1.5 19.1 28.5 2.4 9.4 26.9
Equivalised income: 1st 10%-group Total male and female 18.6 8.8 7.1 27.2 5.3 6.4
Male 11.1 9.0 8.0 15.9 6.1 7.2
Female 7.5 7.6 6.1 11.3 4.3 5.7
Equivalised income: 2nd 10%-group Total male and female 10.9 17.5 9.0 17.1 8.8 7.8
Male 6.5 19.6 10.6 10.1 10.3 9.1
Female 4.4 13.9 6.8 6.9 6.4 6.0
Equivalised income: 3rd 10%-group Total male and female 12.0 21.6 13.0 19.6 9.2 10.6
Male 7.4 25.7 16.3 11.8 13.1 12.7
Female 4.6 13.9 9.2 7.8 6.0 8.0
Equivalised income: 4th 10%-group Total male and female 16.3 26.9 15.9 26.5 11.8 12.4
Male 10.2 32.3 19.9 16.3 17.2 14.7
Female 6.1 16.5 11.7 10.3 7.2 9.6
Equivalised income: 5th 10%-group Total male and female 21.4 34.4 23.4 34.6 16.3 17.7
Male 13.9 40.7 28.5 21.8 23.8 20.9
Female 7.6 21.3 16.7 12.8 9.2 13.4
Equivalised income: 6th 10%-group Total male and female 26.1 41.9 31.8 42.2 20.8 23.2
Male 17.4 48.7 38.8 27.3 30.0 27.1
Female 8.7 26.3 21.9 14.9 11.1 17.3
Equivalised income: 7th 10%-group Total male and female 31.4 49.3 40.8 50.8 26.4 29.2
Male 21.4 55.9 49.0 33.2 36.1 34.3
Female 10.1 33.5 27.9 17.6 14.3 22.4
Equivalised income: 8th 10%-group Total male and female 40.5 56.0 54.7 64.6 33.2 40.4
Male 27.5 60.5 63.8 42.4 42.8 45.7
Female 13.0 41.2 40.7 22.1 19.1 31.6
Equivalised income: 9th 10%-group Total male and female 56.0 64.6 70.3 86.0 43.2 55.2
Male 37.3 70.2 80.5 56.1 52.7 60.2
Female 18.7 51.7 55.1 29.8 29.1 47.1
Equivalised income: 10th 10%-group Total male and female 113.5 89.2 159.0 157.4 68.0 135.0
Male 73.5 96.3 196.1 101.3 75.8 158.9
Female 40.1 74.6 115.2 56.1 53.1 104.5
Wealth: 1st 10%-group Total male and female 25.0 33.2 2.4 43.0 14.5 2.2
Male 16.6 37.3 2.3 26.9 18.7 2.1
Female 8.4 25.6 2.6 16.1 9.1 2.3
Wealth: 2nd 10%-group Total male and female 6.5 19.6 0.9 12.3 8.3 0.8
Male 3.9 23.2 0.9 7.3 9.0 0.9
Female 2.6 15.1 0.8 5.0 6.2 0.8
Wealth: 3rd 10%-group Total male and female 9.9 25.4 4.3 17.8 10.1 3.8
Male 5.9 30.4 4.6 10.3 12.6 4.0
Female 4.0 19.7 3.8 7.5 8.0 3.4
Wealth: 4th 10%-group Total male and female 16.4 35.2 12.9 26.9 17.5 11.2
Male 10.1 39.7 13.8 16.0 22.2 12.0
Female 6.3 27.3 11.5 10.9 12.3 9.9
Wealth: 5th 10%-group Total male and female 26.1 45.4 23.7 41.9 23.3 18.5
Male 16.3 51.1 25.2 25.6 30.2 19.4
Female 9.8 35.5 21.5 16.3 14.7 17.1
Wealth: 6th 10%-group Total male and female 28.0 49.8 22.9 46.3 23.3 17.3
Source: CBS.
Explanation of symbols

Table explanation


This table contains statistics regarding income and capital of self-employed persons in the Netherlands. A distinction is made between, on the one hand, persons for whom self-employment provides for the main source of income, and on the other hand all persons with income from self-employed work. The figures in this table are broken down by type of self-employed person, sector, gender, age, migration background, position in the household, and by income and wealth decile groups.

All statistics in this table are at the individual level, this includes capital; (corporate) assets are summed per household and then assigned to all household members, thus serving as a measure of personal prosperity. The sample date for both population and capital is the first of January of the reporting year. For the older years 2007 up to and including 2010, capital is sampled on the first of January of the year following the reporting year.

The General Business Register (ABR) is used to determine the sector (SBI) of self-employed persons. The ABR has been subject to various trend breaks in the period 2007-2011. This leads to a sharp decrease in the number of self-employed persons in the financial services (sector K) in 2010. Therefore caution is advised when consulting sector trends or comparing numbers across sectors.

Data available from: 2007.

Status of the figures:
The figures for 2007 to 2023 are final. The figures for 2024 are preliminary.

Changes as of November 19, 2025:
The figures for 2023 have been finalized. The figures for 2024 have been added.

When will new figures be published?
New figures for 2025 will be published in the second half of 2026.

Description topics

Self-employed, main income
Persons for whom self-employment provides for the main source of income.
Self-employed persons
Persons for whom self-employment provides for the main source of income.
Self-employed income
The income as a self-employed person comprises income from a self-owned company or practice, directorial wage, and other self-employed income (e.g. as a freelancer).

Median self-employed income
The income as a self-employed person comprises income from a self-owned company or practice, directorial wage, and other self-employed income (e.g. as a freelancer).

Self-employed wealth
The capital of the household to which the self-employed person belongs, assigned to all household members as a measure of wealth.
Median company capital
Substantial interest of owner-managers, and business assets of self-employed entrepreneurs.
Self-employed, all incomes
All persons with income from self-employed labour.
Self-employed persons
Persons for whom self-employment provides for the main source of income.
Self-employed income
The income as a self-employed person comprises income from a self-owned company or practice, directorial wage, and other self-employed income (e.g. as a freelancer).
Median self-employed income
The income as a self-employed person comprises income from a self-owned company or practice, directorial wage, and other self-employed income (e.g. as a freelancer).

Self-employed wealth
The capital of the household to which the self-employed person belongs, assigned to all household members as a measure of wealth.
Median company capital
Substantial interest of owner-managers, and business assets of self-employed entrepreneurs.