104 Essential Freelance Stats 2024 [Facts and Trends]

Do you dream about becoming a freelancer?

The journey to becoming a freelancer and breaking free from the 9 to 5 life is not an easy task.

However, freelance life can be as exciting as it can be challenging.

As a freelancer, you will be able to manage your own time, work from the comfort of your own home, or even adopt a digital nomad lifestyle and work from anywhere in the world.

However, you will also encounter many unexpected challenges.

You will have to learn how to solve problems that arise, deal with failure, and manage your time efficiently.

Before taking the leap into freelance life and starting your own freelance business, it is beneficial to know the facts.

Whether you plan to promote and sell your freelancing services on social media or popular freelancing platforms, learning the key statistics can help you understand the freelancing world much better.

If you plan on becoming a freelancer in 2024, the following list of 104 freelance stats, trends, and facts will shed light on what you can expect.

Key Freelance Stats, Trends, and Facts 2024

1. There are over 1 billion freelancers in the world
2. Only 38% of independent workers identify themselves as freelancers
3. 86% of freelancers work from home
4. Over 60% of freelance workers are pursuing a digital nomad lifestyle
5. 67% of interviewed freelancers became independent within the last three years
6. A whopping 94% of freelancers do this type of work full time
7. Over 60% of freelancers specialize in two or three areas
8. 70% of freelancers claim to juggle between 2 and 4 projects at the same time
9. Over 40% of freelancers chose freelance work due to flexibility and personal growth, and only 7% due to financial reasons
10. Over 60% of freelancers believe that there is a general lack of respect for the freelance type of work and community
11. 33% of freelancers work within a creative industry
12. 55% of freelancers still work a full-time job
13. Over 35% of global freelancers are located in Europe and only 4.1% in North America
14. It is estimated that the freelancing industry contributes between $23.16 to $42.9 trillion dollars to the world economy annually
15. Over 60% of freelancers started freelancing by choice

Freelancer Demographics Statistics

Let’s take a look at some important freelancer demographics statistics by gender, race, age, income, and college degree.

Gender Freelance Statistics

16. 65% of freelancers are male, and only 35% of freelancers are female
17. Almost 50% of freelancing females make less than $25,000 USD per year
18. On average, male freelancers make up to 4 times more money than female freelancers
19. Male freelancers are over four times more likely to make $150,000 USD per year than female freelancers

Race Freelance Statistics

20. In 2019, 62% of freelancers in the US were White
21. In 2019, 16% of freelancers in the US were Hispanic or Latino
22. In 2019, 12% of freelancers in the US were African or of African descent
23. In 2019, Only 5% of freelancers in the US were Asian-American or Asian

Age Freelance Statistics

24. 26% of workers above 55 years old have freelanced at some point in their lives
25. 30% of workers aged between 39 and 54 years old have freelanced at some point in their lives
26. 44% of workers aged between 23 and 38 years old have freelanced at some point in their lives
27. 50% of workers aged between 18 and 22 years old have freelanced at some point in their lives
28. Over half of Generation Z workers are freelancers

Degree Freelance Statistics

29. 40% among over 6,000 interviewed freelancers in the US have a college degree or higher
30. 70% of full-time freelancers regularly participate in skills training
31. Around 45% of freelancers in the United States have a postgraduate degree

Income Freelance Statistics

32. Over 30% of freelancers earn more than $75,000 USD per year
33. Over 40% of freelancers have said that they make less money as freelancers
34. An average freelancer earns approximately $39,000 USD per year (pre-tax)
35. An average freelancer earns approximately $21 USD per hour and works around 36 hours per week

Freelance Jobs Statistics

36. 91% of freelancers find work through word of mouth or referrals, mostly from past clients
37. 48% of freelancers find work through their own website or portfolio
38. Over 48% of the Fortune 500 companies use freelance platforms to hire freelancers
39. Over 75% of workers in the design industry are freelancers
40. The most popular freelancing jobs include copywriting, graphic design, and software development
41. Web design, computer programming, and graphic designer are the best paying freelance jobs

Freelancing Platforms Statistics

42. It is estimated that 33% of freelancers find work through freelancing platforms
43. There are over 170 freelancing platforms
44. Upwork, Fiverr, and Freelancer are the most popular freelancing platforms

Upwork Statistics

45. There are over 17 million users registered on UpWork
46. In 2020, UpWork generated over 373 million dollars in revenue
47. Upwork’s revenue has grown by over 209 million dollars since 2016
48. There are over 145 thousand active clients on UpWork who spent at least $5,000 per year on the platform
49. UpWork has experienced a 90% growth in its core client base since 2016
50. Freelancers contribute approximately 67.86% of Upwork’s total revenue

People Per Hour Statistics

51. As of 2021, there are over 1 million jobs posted on People Per Hour
52. People Per Hour currently has over 1.5 million registered users across 89 countries
53. So far, People Per Hour’s freelancers have generated over $100 million dollars in revenue

Fiverr Statistics

54. Fiverr generated $189.51 million dollars in revenue in 2021
55. There are over 7 million registered users on Fiverr
56. In 2020, there were around 3.42 million active buyers on Fiverr from more than 160 countries
57. Fiverr’s active buyers base has grown by approximately 45% between 2019 and 2020
58. Fiverr generated around $699.3 million dollars of GMV (gross merchandise value) in 2020

Freelancer.com Statistics

59. In 2019, Freelancer.com had approximately 37.7 million users
60. In 2019, there were around 13 million jobs posted on Freelancer.com
61. The estimated value of all projects posted on Freelancer.com in 2014 was $1.8 billion dollars
62. Freelancer.com’s gross payment volume in 2020 was about $618.5 million dollars

Freelance Statistics by Country

Let’s take a look at the freelance statistics in different countries around the world.

Freelancers in the US Statistics

63. In the United States, the freelancing industry has gained approximately $1 trillion US dollars
64. In 2020, there were over 59 million freelancers in the US
65. The number of freelancers in the United States has grown by over 6 million since 2014
66. The number of freelancers in the United States has increased by over 3.5% since 2019
67. The freelance industry constitutes almost 5% of the total US GDP
68. It is estimated that about one-third of the entire workforce in the United States has done some freelance work

Freelancers in Canada Statistics

69. Approximately 2.7 million workers in Canada are self-employed
70. 15% of the total Canadian workers are freelancers or self-employed
71. In 2021, Canada noted a 71% increase in freelancers

Freelancers in the UK Statistics

72. As of 2021, there are approximately 2.2 million freelancers in the UK
73. Out of 2.2 million freelancers in the UK, 1.9 million freelance full-time
74. 88% of freelancers in the UK identify as White
75. 50% of UK freelancers are between 40 and 59 years old
76. In 2020, 44% of UK freelancers were female, and 56% were female

Freelancers in Europe Statistics

77. As of 2021, it is estimated that there are over 22 million self-employed or freelance workers in Europe
78. In Europe, 65% of freelancers are male, and the remaining 35% of freelancers are female
79. The average age of a European freelancer is 40 years old
80. 77% of European freelancers have at least a Bachelor’s degree
81. 54% of European freelancers have a Master’s degree
82. Europe is the region with the most freelancers (35.5%)

Freelancers in India Statistics

83. India is one of the fastest-growing freelance markets in the world, based on earnings
84. There are over 15 million freelancers in India
85. Freelancers from India account for approximately 25% of the total number of freelancers in the world
86. About 80% of freelancers in India are men, and the remaining 20% of freelancers in India are women
87. India is one of the fastest-growing freelancing countries in terms of YoY revenue growth (160%)

Freelancers in the Philippines Statistics

88. The Philippines is the fastest-growing freelancing country in terms of YoY revenue growth in the world (208% growth in 2020)
89. In 2015, there were around 1.5 million Filipino freelancers registered on UpWork
90. In the Philippines, there are three times more female freelancers than male freelancers
91. The average income for a Filipino freelancer is around $780 dollars per month
92. Virtual assistance is the most common freelance job among Filipino freelancers
93. The Philippines is one of the ten fastest-growing countries in terms of gig-economy

Freelance Health Statistics

94. 64% of freelance workers have claimed that their mental health has improved since they became freelancers
95. 68% of freelance workers have said that their quality of life has improved since they became freelancers

COVID-19 Freelance Statistics

96. Between April and June 2020, freelance job openings on freelancing platforms increased by 25%
97. Almost 32% of surveyed freelancers claim that demand for their services has decreased during the coronavirus pandemic
98. Only 5% of freelancers said that the demand for their services has greatly increased during the coronavirus pandemic
99. 23% of freelancers claim to have seen no change in the need for their services during the coronavirus pandemic
100. The demand for freelancers in North America has decreased by 53.7% during the pandemic

Freelance Trends and Future Predictions

101. It is estimated that there will be approximately 67.6 million freelancers in the US by the end of 2021
102. It is estimated that by 2027 freelancers will constitute over 50% of the total US workforce
103. 53.4% of freelancers think that demand for their services will grow post-pandemic
104. The growth rate of full-time freelance work is estimated to be around 65% over the next five years

FAQ

How many freelancers are there in the world in 2021?

Currently, there are approximately 1.1 billion freelancers in the world.

This means that around 31.4% of the total workforce in the world are freelancers.

This number is expected to grow significantly in 2024.

How many freelancers are there in the US in 2021?

Currently, there are around 59 million freelancers in the United States, which means a 2 million increase from 2020.

This number is estimated to grow to 86.5 million freelancers by 2027.

This means that by 2027, over 50% of the total US workforce will be freelancers.

How many freelancers are successful?

The definition of success is different for all of us.

According to the freelance statistics that we gathered in this article, over 40% of freelancers chose this type of work due to the benefits that it gives them, such as flexibility, time and location freedom, and personal growth.

Although 40% of freelancers claim that they earn less as freelancers than what they used to make in previous jobs, over 60% say that their quality of life and mental health have improved significantly since they decided to make freelancing their full-time occupation.

You might be interested to check those related posts as well:

• Impressive Gig Economy Stats 2024 [Facts and Trends]
• 26 Best Freelance Websites [and Platforms] to Find Jobs in 2024
• 15 Amazing Freelancers Mental Health Tips [and Practices] in 2024

Final Thoughts

If you plan on becoming a freelancer in 2024, the statistics provided in this article will help you make the right choice.

However, if you are already freelancing, understanding these numbers can give you a new perspective and a sense of direction in your freelancing career.

Without a doubt, 2020 was a year that changed people’s perspectives on freelancing.

More and more people are now doing freelance work.

Also, more and more employers are deciding to hire freelancers.

The statistics, trends, and facts that we gathered in this article show how the future of freelancing is being shaped right in front of our eyes.

Use these stats to your advantage in your freelancing journey!

The freelance statistics in this article were gathered from the following sources: Workspace, Statista, Expanded Ramblings, Finances Online, and more.