Are you looking for the most recent and most insightful freelance statistics? Do you wish to study what number of freelancers are there on the earth?
Should you’re a freelancer desirous to know extra in regards to the trade or plan on turning into one, this statistical exploration will do the trick.
We analyzed complete information units and performed in depth analysis to offer a complete overview of the freelance panorama.
You’ll study in regards to the trade, the demographics, the roles, the pay charges, the freelance platforms and heaps extra.
We additionally share which is the preferred freelancing subject.
Are you prepared? Let’s do that.
This publish covers:
Freelance Statistics (Our Prime Picks)
- There are round 1.54 billion freelancers on the earth
- 70% of freelancers are the age of 35 (or youthful)
- Feminine freelancers, on common, earn 84% of males’s earnings
- The gig economic system is predicted to succeed in $455 billion in 2023
- 70% of US small companies have employed a freelancer
- Google has extra temps and contractors than full-time staff
- The worldwide common freelancer hourly price is $21
- The preferred freelancing subject is internet and graphic design
- Nr. one newbie mistake is calculating a too-low hourly price
- 74% of freelancers don’t receives a commission on time
How Many Freelancers Are There?
1. There are roughly 1.54 billion freelancers on the earth
When trying on the share of the overall workforce on the earth that’s self-employed by The World Financial institution, there are roughly 1.54 billion freelancers globally.
We helped ourselves with Statista’s report that round 3.32 billion persons are employed worldwide.
Furthermore, there are extra self-employed males than ladies, however the distinction is tiny.
Supply: The World Bank, Statista #1
2. There will probably be practically 87 million freelancers within the US by 2027
The gig world in the USA is rising yearly and is anticipated to make up practically 51% of the overall US pressure. There have been round 59 million freelancers within the US, however the quantity is forecast to leap to 86.5 million.
Concerning gender, there are practically 48% of male freelancers and 52% of feminine freelancers within the US. However when trying on the total US staff, extra males work than ladies.
Supply: Statista #2
3. There are 18+ million folks in Russia working as freelancers
The variety of freelancers has additionally been rising in Russia for the previous years and is anticipated to continue to grow. There have been greater than 18 million freelancers in 2021, with a contract market forecast to succeed in $102 billion by 2025 (as a reference, the market quantity was $41 billion in 2020).
Supply: Statista #3
4. The UK has round 4.4 million self-employed staff
In March 2023, there are round 4.4 million self-employed staff in the UK. Whereas the self-employment price steadily grew since 2000, it skilled a big drop in 2020 (because of the pandemic) however is now slowly recovering. The UK has extra male self-employed staff than feminine.
Supply: Statista #4
5. Nations with the very best self-employment price (of complete employment)
| Share of self-employed | Share of self-emplyed |
| Niger | 95.1% |
| Central African Republic | 94.5% |
| Guinea | 92.6% |
| Chad | 92.0% |
| South Sudan | 91.3% |
| Sierra Leone | 91.0% |
| Benin | 89.8% |
| Somalia | 89.6% |
| Madagascar | 89.3% |
| Burundi | 88.2% |
Supply: The World Financial institution
Freelancer Demographics Statistics
6. 70% of freelancers are the age of 35 (or youthful)
It’s no shock that the freelancing scene is younger. Statistics present that 70% of surveyed freelancers are the age of 35 and 21% are the age of 25.
The proportion of Asian freelancers below 35 is 82%, whereas solely 47% in North America.
Supply: Payoneer #1
7. 47.1% of self-employed are male
Whereas the information might differ from useful resource to useful resource, we’ve discovered that every one state that there are extra self-employed males than females.
In response to The World Financial institution, over 47% of all male staff globally are self-employed males.
Supply: The World Financial institution
8. 45.7% of self-employed are feminine
The worldwide common self-employed females have a share of 45.7% of all feminine staff.
Supply: The World Financial institution
9. Most freelancers within the US are white (76%)
In 2022, roughly 76% of freelance staff in the USA have been white.
| Ethnicity | Share of freelancers |
| White | 76% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 10% |
| Asian-American/Asian | 8% |
| African or African descent | 4% |
| Others | 3% |
Supply: Statista #5
10. Feminine freelancers, on common, earn 84% of males’s earnings
Across the globe and throughout all fields, feminine freelancers averagely earn 84% of males’s earnings. The most important gender pay hole is within the finance and mission administration fields. However ladies earn greater than males in advertising and internet and graphic design.
As a reference, ladies globally earn a median of 64% of what males earn for a similar or related job/process.
Additional studying:
Supply: Payoneer #1
11. There are extra ladies freelancers than ever
The ladies’s share of the freelance workforce is steadily (however slowly) rising. The proportion of feminine freelancers in 2015 was 22%, whereas in 2020, it was 24%.
The sector and the nation with the very best share of feminine freelancers are translation (50%) and the Philippines (62%).
Supply: Payoneer #1
Freelance Business Statistics
12. The gig economic system is predicted to succeed in $455 billion in 2023
The freelancer economic system, or the gig economic system as some name it, is prone to develop to $455 billion in 2023, which is twice as a lot as in 2018.
Supply: Statista #6
13. The worldwide freelance platforms market measurement is to develop to $9.7 billion by 2028
In 2022, the worldwide freelance platforms market measurement was valued at $4.5 billion however is anticipated to develop to $9.7 billion by 2028, increasing at 13.66% CAGR.
Nevertheless, we discovered one other useful resource stating that the market was valued at $5.1 billion in 2020 and is forecast to develop to $17.2 billion by 2030, rising at a 15.8% CAGR.
Supply: Yahoo, Verified Market Research
14. The US is the fastest-growing nation for freelancers earnings-wise
Out of the ten high international locations for freelancers, the USA is seeing the fastest-growing earnings for freelancers, whereas Serbia is the bottom.
| Nation | Freelancer employee earnings development |
| United States | 78% |
| United Kingdom | 59% |
| Brazil | 48% |
| Pakistan | 47% |
| Ukraine | 36% |
| Philippines | 35% |
| India | 29% |
| Bangladesh | 27% |
| Russia | 20% |
| Serbia | 19% |
Supply: Payoneer #2
15. 70% of US small companies have employed a freelancer
The US small companies are very open to hiring freelancers, which they’ve executed previously and plan to do sooner or later.
A whopping 70% of small companies employed a freelancer (a number of) previously, of which 81% reported they’d rent a freelancer sooner or later.
Furthermore, 83% of small companies who rent freelancers often are happy with their work and contribution to the enterprise.
Supply: LinkedIn
16. 62% of companies identify “expertise ” as the primary cause for hiring a freelancer
The principle cause (62%) small companies rent a freelancer is the workforce’s lack of expertise to finish a specific process. And the second most typical cause is price. 47% say hiring a freelancer is inexpensive than hiring an individual part- or full-time.
Supply: LinkedIn
17. The bigger the small enterprise, the extra freelancers it hires
51% of sole proprietors, 58% of corporations with 2-20 staff and 66% of corporations with 21-200 staff have plans to rent extra freelancers sooner or later.
Moreover, of round 30% of corporations that presently don’t work with a freelancer or contractor, 61% say lack of perceived want is the highest barrier, and 20% point out prices as the highest cause for not hiring.
Supply: LinkedIn
18. Google has extra temps and contractors than full-time staff
In 2021, Google exceeded 150,000 temps and contractors working for the corporate, whereas its mother or father firm, Alphabet, had 144,000 full-time staff.
Sadly, many momentary workers members have been underpaid and never handled as they need to be.
Supply: The New York Times
19. The Philippines are the fastest-growing freelancing nation
In response to Payoneer’s 2020 report, the Philippines are the fastest-growing freelancing nation, adopted by India in second and Japan in third place.
| Nation | Development price |
| Philippines | 208% |
| India | 160% |
| Japan | 87% |
| Australia | 86% |
| Hong Kong | 79% |
| Mexico | 72% |
| Canada | 71% |
| Pakistan | 69% |
| Argentina | 66% |
| Spain | 66% |
Supply: Payoneer #3
20. 43% of worldwide organizations that rent freelance brokers save a minimum of 20% in labor price
A 2019 report discovered that 43% of worldwide organizations save a minimum of 20% (if no more) in labor prices on account of hiring freelance brokers.
Within the Asia Pacific, 84% of corporations employed freelancers to outsource the work.
Supply: The Asean Post
Freelance Jobs Statistics
21. The worldwide common freelancer hourly price is $21
In response to a 2020 Payoneer survey, the common world freelancer’s hourly price is $21 ($2 greater than in 2018). This hourly price is greater than the hourly common wage in most international locations surveyed freelancers are from.
Supply: Payoneer #1
22. Older skilled freelancers earn greater than twice as a lot as their youthful friends
Expertise is the driving issue within the hourly pay price, and age additionally appears to have a big influence. The extra skilled freelancers over 55 earn greater than twice as a lot as their 18-24 friends.
As an example, the older freelancer might earn round $36/hour whereas the youthful one $16/hour.
| Age | Share of freelancers | Hourly price |
| 18-24 | 21% | $16 |
| 25-34 | 48% | $19 |
| 35-44 | 22% | $24 |
| 45-54 | 6% | $27 |
| 55-64 | 3% | $36 |
| 65+ | 1% | $34 |
Supply: Payoneer #1
23. These working completely as freelancers earn $3 extra per hour than part-time freelancers
Throughout all age teams, the freelancers working as full-time freelancers earn a median of $22 hourly price, whereas supplemental freelancers earn $19/hour.
Enjoyable truth: Full-time freelancers even have a 0.3-point greater way of life satisfaction price than supplemental freelancers.
Supply: Payoneer #1
24. Freelancers incomes $50K+ are extra happy of their life
One of many greatest values of freelancing is the flexibility to create your personal schedule and work from wherever you need. Nevertheless, way of life satisfaction continues to be very intently correlated to earnings – so the upper the pay, the extra happy freelancers are each income- and lifestyle-wise.
Supply: Payoneer #1
25. Male freelancers earn probably the most in mission administration, ladies in gross sales and advertising
Whereas male freelancers make extra throughout most fields, ladies exceed males’s common pay price in multimedia manufacturing, advertising and internet and graphic design.
| Discipline | Males | Ladies |
| Mission administration | $34 | $19 |
| Multimedia manufacturing | $25 | $26 |
| Gross sales | $27 | $19 |
| Programming | $25 | $17 |
| Advertising | $22 | $26 |
| Finance | $26 | $14 |
| IT | $23 | $17 |
| Translation | $22 | $18 |
| Internet and graphic design | $19 | $20 |
| Content material writing | $16 | $15 |
| Buyer help | $15 | $14 |
| QA | $14 | $11 |
| Administrative | $11 | $8 |
Supply: Payoneer #1
26. The preferred freelancing subject is internet and graphic design (the least in style is finance)
The design and expertise areas are probably the most most well-liked areas for freelancing work. However freelancers aren’t too enthusiastic about gross sales, QA and finance.
| Discipline | Share of respondents |
| Internet and graphic design | 30% |
| Programming | 19% |
| IT | 10% |
| Multimedia manufacturing | 8% |
| Content material writing | 8% |
| Translation | 7% |
| Advertising | 6% |
| Administrative | 3% |
| Buyer help | 2% |
| Mission administration | 2% |
| Gross sales | 2% |
| QA | 2% |
| Finance | 1% |
You may additionally be curious about our web development statistics to find what number of internet builders are there.
Supply: Payoneer #1
27. The most effective-paying freelancing subject isn’t the preferred one
It’s no secret that the preferred fields aren’t essentially the best-paying ones. Why? Oversaturation.
Thus, internet and graphic design pay significantly lower than mission administration. See the desk beneath.
| Discipline | Common hourly price |
| Mission administration | $28 |
| Multimedia Manufacturing | $25 |
| Gross sales | $25 |
| Programming | $25 |
| Advertising | $23 |
| Finance | $23 |
| IT | $23 |
| Translation | $20 |
| Internet & Graphic Design | $19 |
| Content material Writing | $15 |
| Buyer Help | $15 |
| QA | $13 |
| Administrative | $10 |
Typically talking, if you wish to earn extra, you would possibly wish to enter a less-popular freelancing subject.
Supply: Payoneer #1
28. Freelancers with a postgraduate diploma earn probably the most
Relating to training, these freelancers who’ve a postgraduate diploma take advantage of. However do you want a level to work as a freelancer? No.
| Training | Hourly price |
| Postgraduate diploma | $24 |
| Highschool commencement | $22 |
| Bachelor’s diploma | $19 |
Supply: Payoneer #1
Freelancing Platforms Statistics
29. Upwork’s world income in 2022 was $618 million
Upwork is likely one of the main freelancer platforms and one of many largest in complete world income, hitting over $600 million in 2022.
| Yr | Income |
| 2022 | $618 million |
| 2021 | $503 million |
| 2020 | $374 million |
| 2019 | $301 million |
| 2018 | $253 million |
| 2017 | $203 million |
| 2016 | $164 million |
Supply: Statista #7
30. Upwork’s most in-demand expertise are internet design, social media advertising and customer support
Upwork revealed its most in-demand expertise in 2022 for expertise, advertising and customer support. Right here’s a recap of the highest 5 in every phase:
Upwork’s high 5 most in-demand tech expertise:
- Internet design
- WordPress
- Internet programming
- JavaScript
- CSS
Upwork’s high 5 most in-demand advertising expertise:
- Social media advertising
- Lead technology
- Fb
- search engine marketing
- B2B advertising
Upwork’s high 5 most in-demand customer support expertise:
- Customer support
- Buyer help
- E mail communication
- Cellphone help
- E mail help
Supply: Upwork
31. Fiverr’s 2022 income was $337 million
At a gradual enhance of 13.3% 12 months over 12 months, Fiverr’s complete income in 2022 was $337.4 million. The income forecast for 2023 is between $350 and $365 million.
Supply: Fiverr
32. Frelancer.com’s 2022 income was $55+ million
In response to Craft, Freelancer.com’s yearly income in 2022 was $55.7 million (it has a market cap of $101.8 million), a slight lower from 2021 ($57.4 million).
Supply: Craft
33. One-third of freelancers discover work by way of freelance platforms
In response to statistics on expertise platforms for freelancers, 33% of freelancers discover work on-line by way of any of the 170+ freelance platforms.
Supply: Hugo Cespedes
Different Freelance Stats
34. 83% of freelancers do business from home
Whereas co-working areas are popping up all over the place, 83% of freelancers nonetheless favor working at dwelling (me, too!).
Two primary causes for freelancers’ comfortable lives are 1) working from dwelling and a couple of) versatile working hours. On the flip aspect, the 2 main complaints are the problem of getting sufficient work and sustaining a adequate earnings stream.
Supply: Payoneer #1
35. The principle cause to go freelance is independence
79% of freelancers say that selecting the freelancing life is because of independence, self-employment and being their very own bosses.
| Causes to go freelance | Share of respondents |
| Independence, self-employment, be my very own boss | 79% |
| Higher alternatives for greater earnings | 48% |
| Versatile working hours | 42% |
| Number of duties | 41% |
| Skilled problem | 28% |
Relating to the advantages of freelancing, 73% identify independence, 66% freedom to resolve and 57% time administration.
Supply: FreelancerMap
36. The principle freelance problem is mission acquisition
Despite the fact that you might be “your personal boss” as a freelancer, you continue to want to search out new tasks, which is likely one of the greatest challenges of freelancers.
| Freelance challenges | Share of respondents |
| Mission acquisition | 52% |
| Irregular earnings | 47% |
| Late funds | 36% |
| Unpaid trip | 36% |
| Accounting | 25% |
| Contract negotiations | 22% |
| Time administration | 16% |
Mission acquisition can also be probably the most vital drawback for 52% of freelancers, adopted by irregular earnings (47%) and late funds (36%).
Supply: FreelancerMap
37. Nr. one newbie mistake is calculating a too-low hourly price
Study from the errors of others in an effort to progress in life a lot quicker. And the identical goes to your freelancing profession.
FreelancerMap’s survey discovered the eight most typical newbie errors freelancers make, so you may keep away from making them your self.
| Newbie mistake | Share of respondents |
| Hourly price too low | 57% |
| Time for mission acquisition uncared for | 34% |
| Loved only a few days off | 28% |
| Not sufficient cash put apart | 26% |
| Too little time deliberate for household and mates | 24% |
| Accounting carried out by myself | 21% |
| Too tolerant with late funds | 19% |
| Accepted too many tasks | 12% |
Supply: FreelancerMap
38. The typical freelancer retires on the age of 64
The typical freelancer’s retirement age is 64. Additionally, $1,251 is the common month-to-month financial savings of freelancers for future retirement.
Nevertheless, as a freelancer (and for those who actually love what you do), you will be one for so long as you need – nope, you don’t must retire.
Supply: FreelancerMap
39. Solely 2% of freelancers don’t wish to proceed as freelancers
Almost 90% of freelancers stated they wish to maintain engaged on a contract foundation. A small share aren’t certain, whereas one other 2% stated they’d swap to full-time employment for an acceptable wage.
And when requested in the event that they’d begin over, and in the event that they’d nonetheless select to be a freelancer, 89% stated they’d.
Supply: FreelancerMap
40. 74% of freelancers don’t receives a commission on time
Sadly, a big share of freelancers don’t receives a commission on time. Solely 20% receives a commission in sooner or later, whereas 16% want to attend for 2 months or extra, even with a “remit-by” date.
Much more stunning is that just about 60% of freelancers are owed $50,000 or extra for already accomplished work.
Supply: Independent Economy Council
41. Distant staff are virtually 60% extra productive
These working from dwelling report they’re 57% extra productive, whereas solely 17% say they’re much less productive.
Though distant staff and freelancers shouldn’t be thrown into the identical bucket, I’d prefer to share our in depth remote work statistics with you.
Supply: TrustRadius
Conclusion
The statistics introduced on this article present a compelling snapshot of the freelance panorama, highlighting the rising affect of freelancing within the fashionable workforce.
Because the freelance revolution continues to reshape the way in which we work, embracing the alternatives it presents is essential whereas addressing the challenges confronted by this dynamic neighborhood.
By leveraging information and understanding the statistical dynamics, we are able to navigate the freelance world with knowledgeable choices and pave the way in which for a thriving future of labor.
Are you a freelancer? Or are you a enterprise proprietor hiring freelancers? What’s your primary profit for freelancing?
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