Survey Finds 74.6 Percent of Adults Want Self-Employment

A survey of 5,105 adults in 28 countries found that 74.6 percent want to be their own boss. The poll was published Friday by international money transfer firm Remitly. Only one-third of respondents said they expect to take steps toward self-employment in the next year. Kenya recorded the highest share of adults preferring self-employment, while Spain recorded the lowest at 29.5 percent.

Africa, Morocco, India, and Mexico followed Kenya in the top five countries with the strongest preference for self-employment. The United States ranked seventh at 82.1 percent. Belgium, Chile, Hungary, and the U.K. followed Spain with the lowest shares of adults wanting to work for themselves.

Among those favoring self-employment, 72.7 percent cited more independence and control over how they work. Greater flexibility over when and where they work ranked second, followed by better work-life balance. Among those preferring traditional employment, 61.7 percent said greater job security and benefits such as pension and sick pay were the main reason.

Lower financial risk ranked second at 61.1 percent. By the end of 2025, roughly 16.8 million Americans were self-employed, according to tax consultancy Carry. A May survey from marketing automation platform Omnisend found that 28 percent of the American workforce holds both traditional and self-employed jobs at the same time.