2025 Gig Economy & Freelance Work Statistics (Global Report)

Survey-based methods yield a conservative lower estimate of 154 million online gig workers worldwide, reflecting workers who routinely use digital platforms rather than those who occasionally or sporadically take tasks.

A broader World Bank model produces an upper estimate of 435 million, capturing occasional platform users and wider data-science inferences that expand the counted population considerably.

Market research estimates vary widely. Business Research Insights projects the gig economy at $582.2 billion by 2025, depending on how platforms, freelancer services, and delivery work are defined.

McKinsey’s 2016 analysis estimated up to 162 million people across the U.S. and EU-15 engage in some form of independent work, a frequently cited early benchmark.

Several market research forecasts predict high compound annual growth rates for gig segments; CAGR varies widely depending on the inclusion of platforms, services, and geographic scope.

The Online Labour Index and World Bank analysis show posted demand for online gig tasks increased roughly 41% from mid-2016 through Q1 2023, driven by platform growth and pandemic effects.

Flexing It data reported by The Economic Times shows project-based hiring in India surged about 38% in FY25, led by technology and consulting roles.

World Bank analysis highlights faster expansion of online gig activity in many lower- and middle-income countries, where platform adoption is rising quickly.

Academic and industry research (Upwork, arXiv, NBER) show that algorithmic matching, payments, and API integrations have materially improved how platforms match firms with freelancers.

Upwork’s Future Workforce Index aggregates earnings and reports roughly $1.5 trillion earned by U.S. skilled knowledge freelancers in 2024, underscoring a large economic weight in high-skill gig work.

MBO Partners reports a record 5.6 million independent workers earning over $100,000 annually in 2025, reflecting growth among higher-earning solo professionals.

Upwork data show many full-time freelancers report median incomes meeting or exceeding comparable full-time employee peers, especially in specialized tech, design, and consulting roles.

NBER and related research document wide earnings dispersion: a small “superstar” cohort captures large shares of income, while many platform task workers earn much less.

Upwork finds that about 28% of U.S. knowledge workers now operate as freelancers or independent professionals, representing a sizable shift in how skilled labor organizes itself.

MBO Partners’ State of Independence estimates approximately 72.9 million Americans working independently in 2025, combining full-time independents, part-timers, and nonemployer business owners.

In May 2025, the U.S. Census Bureau released its 2023 Nonemployer Statistics, showing that businesses without paid employees (sole proprietors, freelancers, etc.) continued to grow, rising by 2.1% in number over 2022, and generated a combined $1.7 trillion in receipts in 2022. These nonemployers now total about 29.8 million establishments.

Census Bureau NES data show the count of nonemployer establishments increased in 2023, signaling growth in one-person businesses and sole proprietorship activity.

The Census Bureau’s 2023 Nonemployer Statistics show that one-person businesses generate large local economic value, nonemployer receipts totaled roughly $1.7 trillion (latest published figure for 2022), with notable concentration in transportation, creative services, and consumer-facing service industries.

These receipts underscore how sole proprietors and freelancers are not only widespread but also meaningfully contribute to local incomes and demand for goods and services. (Source: U.S. Census NES, 2023 release)

According to World Bank research, online gig platforms often serve as a first step into the labor market for women and young people. Because these platforms offer flexible, low-barrier access to income, they are especially important in countries where formal jobs are limited, helping underrepresented groups gain work experience and earnings opportunities.

World Bank findings and media reports show that many gig workers operate without access to basic safety nets such as retirement savings, health insurance, or formal social protections. This lack of coverage raises serious welfare concerns and highlights the policy challenge of extending benefits to a rapidly growing segment of the workforce.

ILO definitions distinguish location-based platform work (rides, delivery) from online remote work (freelance coding, design), each with distinct labour issues and measurement needs.

Upwork surveys indicate roughly 36% of currently employed knowledge workers are considering freelancing, implying a substantial latent supply of independent talent.

On platforms like Upwork, most freelance activity centers on specialized, knowledge-based skills. In 2025, 34% of freelancers were in Web, Mobile & Software Development, 18% were in Writing, 11% in Admin & Support, and 9% in Design & Creative. This concentration reflects strong employer demand in IT, content creation, and creative industries.

Upwork’s 2025 Labor Market Trends survey highlights that companies continue to see freelancers as a critical source of specialized skills and flexible capacity.

Hiring intent remains high, with most businesses planning to bring on new talent, and a significant share relying on remote freelancers to meet project needs. Mid-sized companies, in particular, show the strongest momentum in adopting freelance talent.

In 2025, the International Labour Organization (ILO) began formal standard-setting discussions on platform work. The process aims to establish international guidance and possible binding conventions to improve protections for gig workers, focusing on fair pay, working conditions, and access to social protections in the growing platform economy.

In many countries, governments are stepping up oversight of the platform economy. Measures include stricter right-to-work verification, mandatory platform registration, and integration with state welfare systems.

While these policies aim to protect workers and ensure tax compliance, they are creating a complex, country-by-country patchwork of obligations for platforms and the businesses that rely on them.

As companies scale up their use of freelancers, managing compliance has become a top priority. Firms are putting greater emphasis on worker classification, vendor governance, and standardized contracts to reduce the risk of misclassification, legal disputes, and unexpected financial liabilities.

The OECD/ILO handbook highlights how differences in terminology, such as whether workers are classified as platform-mediated or independent contractors, along with varying survey methods and data sources, lead to large discrepancies in estimates and make cross-country comparisons unreliable.

The OECD/ILO handbook documents how varying definitions, survey methods, and data sources produce sizable discrepancies in counts and cross-country comparisons.

International initiatives led by the OECD, ILO, and EU are making progress in harmonizing how platform work is measured. However, persistent data gaps and methodological differences mean that statistics on gig and platform work are still inconsistent, limiting the reliability of cross-country comparisons.