Freelance Statistics France 2026: The 15 Key Figures to Cite

How many freelancers are there in France, and what do they really earn? The answers are scattered across Insee, Urssaf and a few sector reports. Here are the freelance statistics France 2026 in one place, with the source of every figure and the WEEPO Barometer data for consultants in wage portage.

The latest freelance statistics France can offer show 4.4 million people running a business (Insee, end of 2022) and 3.186 million administratively active micro-entrepreneurs (Urssaf, June 2025). No official source counts "freelancers" as such: you add up legal statuses.

Are you a consultant or freelancer? Estimate your net salary under wage portage in 2 minutes from your daily rate with the WEEPO salary simulator.

The 15 key figures of freelancing in France in 2026

Fifteen numbers are enough to place French freelancing: the size of the self-employed population, average income, the 2026 thresholds and what ported consultants earn. Each one points to its source and can be quoted on its own. The oldest data dates from 2020 and is flagged as such.

• 4.4 million people run a business in France (Insee, end of 2022).
• 13% of total employment in France is self-employed (Insee, 2022).
• 49% of non-agricultural non-salaried workers are micro-entrepreneurs, up from 25% in 2013 (Insee).
• 3.186 million administratively active micro-entrepreneurs at the end of June 2025 (Urssaf).
• 49.8% of them are economically active in the second quarter of 2025 (Urssaf).
• €5,072 average quarterly revenue per declarant, about €1,690 a month (Urssaf, Q2 2025).
• €670 average monthly income for a micro-entrepreneur in 2022 (Insee).
• €4,030 average monthly income for a classic non-salaried worker in 2022 (Insee).
• €83,600 micro-entreprise revenue cap for services and liberal professions in 2026.
• €203,100 cap for goods sales in 2026.
• €48,060 annual social security ceiling in 2026, or €4,005 a month.
• 33,196 ported employees in France in 2020 (2023 sector report).
• 79% of ported employees are executives or higher intellectual professions (2020).
• €526 median daily rate among WEEPO ported consultants (WEEPO Barometer 2026).
• €4,200 median net monthly salary for the same consultants (WEEPO Barometer 2026).

How many freelancers in France: self-employed workers and micro-entrepreneurs

There's no official count of freelancers in France, but Insee records 4.4 million people running a business at the end of 2022. Four million work in a non-salaried activity. These self-employed workers make up 13% of total employment, one point below the EU average of 14%, and micro-entrepreneurs account for nearly half of them (49%).

The share of micro-entrepreneurs has almost doubled in ten years: 25% of non-agricultural non-salaried workers in 2013, 49% in 2022, according to Insee. About 1.77 million of them were economically active at the time. The detail matters, because an open status isn't a real activity.

How many micro-entrepreneurs are really active?

At the end of June 2025, France had 3.186 million administratively active micro-entrepreneurs, 204,000 more than a year earlier. Only 49.8% declared positive revenue in the second quarter of 2025. The other half declared nothing over the period. This Urssaf data, published on 28 January 2026, is relayed by TPE Actu.

Average freelance income: what Insee and Urssaf say

The average income of a classic non-salaried worker reached €4,030 a month in 2022, against €670 a month for a micro-entrepreneur. The gap reflects very different profiles: Insee counts among non-salaried workers people whose independent activity comes on top of a salaried job. For a freelancer who lives off client work, neither average is enough on its own.

Mind how you read it: €1,690 a month is revenue, not income. Contributions, tax and expenses still come out. Our guide to self-employed social contributions in 2026 compares the rates status by status.

2026 micro-entreprise cap and other thresholds to know

In 2026, the micro-entreprise cap is €83,600 of revenue excluding VAT for services and liberal activities, and €203,100 for goods sales. These thresholds apply over the 2026-2028 period. Exceeding a threshold in a single year doesn't end the regime: you need to exceed it two years in a row, as service-public.gouv.fr points out.

A quick calculation shows how tight the cap is. At €526 a day (the median daily rate in the WEEPO Barometer), €83,600 is reached after about 159 billed days, or roughly eight months at twenty days a month. A full-time IT consultant at that rate therefore crosses the line before year end. Our article on the 2026 micro-entreprise threshold covers what happens next.

Wage portage in numbers: a picture of the sector

Wage portage counted 33,196 ported employees and 394 portage companies in 2020, with estimated sector revenue of €1.25 billion. These figures come from the 2023 sector report, which relies on 2020 Insee data and considers the headcount probably underestimated.

The sector profile is an experienced one: 79% executives or higher intellectual professions, an average age of 46 and two thirds of employees over 40. Average annual gross pay stood at €21,273 per ported employee, against €62,398 on a full-time equivalent basis. The data is six years old. It gives an order of magnitude, not a measure of today's market.

And for a consultant or freelancer: what do you earn under wage portage?

According to the WEEPO Barometer 2026, built on 20,000 payslips of ported consultants, the median daily rate is €526 and the median net salary is €4,200 a month. Half of consultants bill between €450 and €600 a day, for median revenue of €10,260 a month. The full detail is in the WEEPO Barometer 2026.

The contrast with the sector is striking: a median age of 33 among WEEPO consultants, against an average age of 46 across the sector in 2020, and 85% tech profiles. Two different populations, so figures not to be added together (and a median isn't a mean).

The framework is set by the wage portage collective agreement (IDCC 3219). It provides a minimum salary of 75% of the PMSS for a senior consultant and 85% for an expert, full time. With a 2026 PMSS of €4,005, that works out at €3,003.75 and €3,404.25 gross a month. It also requires a 10% financial reserve on permanent contracts. For details, see our article on the minimum salary in wage portage.

On costs, WEEPO charges 3% management fees, capped at €550 per mission, plus 2% of additional fees (professional liability insurance, occupational health, factoring and financial guarantee, CVAE). To turn a daily rate into net pay, our article daily rate to net salary walks through the calculation. The net salary calculation under portage also runs online in a few clicks.

Wage portage isn't the only option. Against the micro-entreprise, the trade-off is about social protection, the cap and fees: our comparison wage portage versus micro-enterprise sets the two regimes side by side. The WEEPO umbrella company then supports consultants who choose this route.

How to cite these freelance statistics France 2026

To quote a figure from this page, use the original source shown next to it (Insee, Urssaf, service-public.gouv.fr, the sector report) or the WEEPO Barometer. Every figure is dated, and the reference period appears in the text.

Methodology: the Insee data covers 2022, the latest consulted for the self-employed population. The Urssaf data covers the second quarter of 2025. Thresholds are the 2026 ones. The sector report relies on 2020. The WEEPO Barometer gives medians calculated on more than 20,000 payslips of ported consultants. Page checked on 22 October 2026.

Cite this page: Source: WEEPO, Freelance statistics France 2026: 15 key figures, 2026, weepo.fr/en/blog/statistiques-freelance-france

Want to compare these averages with your own situation? Check the detail of our pricing and management fees. Browse the key figures of wage portage published on the site too.

Frequently asked questions

How many freelancers are there in France?

No official source counts freelancers. Insee records 4.4 million people running a business at the end of 2022, and Urssaf 3.186 million administratively active micro-entrepreneurs at the end of June 2025, of whom 49.8% are economically active. The real number of freelancers sits somewhere inside those groups.

What is the average income of a micro-entrepreneur?

Insee gives €670 a month on average in 2022 for micro-entrepreneurs. Urssaf reports average quarterly revenue of €5,072 per declarant in the second quarter of 2025, about €1,690 a month before contributions, tax and expenses.

What is the micro-entreprise cap in 2026?

It's €83,600 excluding VAT for services and liberal activities, and €203,100 for goods sales. A one-off overshoot doesn't end the regime: you need two consecutive years above the threshold.

How many ported employees are there in France?

The 2023 sector report counts 33,196 ported employees in 2020 and 394 portage companies. The report itself says the figure is probably underestimated, and it's six years old.

How much does a consultant earn under wage portage?

At WEEPO, the median net salary is €4,200 a month for a median daily rate of €526 (WEEPO Barometer 2026). Your own net depends on your daily rate, your billed days and your professional expenses: a consultant or freelancer gets a personal figure with the salary simulator.

Key takeaways

• Insee counts 4.4 million people running a business in France, with micro-entrepreneurs making up nearly half of non-salaried workers.
• Only one active micro-entrepreneur in two declares revenue in a given quarter (49.8% in Q2 2025).
• The 2026 micro-entreprise cap is €83,600 for services and €203,100 for goods, and a consultant at €526 a day hits it in about 159 billed days.
• Wage portage counted 33,196 ported employees in 2020 according to the sector, with 79% executives.
• The WEEPO Barometer 2026 gives a median daily rate of €526 and a median net salary of €4,200 a month.

Related articles

• Micro-Entreprise Threshold 2026: What to Do If You Exceed It
• Social Security Contributions for Freelancers 2026
• Wage portage vs micro-enterprise: which one to choose?