Japan vs Sub-Saharan Africa: Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages)
Japan
82.3%
in 2025
Sub-Saharan Africa
71.6%
in 2025
Japan rank
14th
Sub-Saharan Africa rank
14th
Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) over time
- Japan
- Sub-Saharan Africa
How they compare
Japan currently reports 82.3% against 71.6% in Sub-Saharan Africa, a difference of 10.7%.
That makes Japan's figure about 1.1 times Sub-Saharan Africa's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 36 shared years of data; in 1990 it was Sub-Saharan Africa ahead.
Japan ranks 14th and Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 14th of 187 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Japan averaged higher in 2 and Sub-Saharan Africa in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Japan | Sub-Saharan Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 71.7% | 74.7% | 3.0% | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 2000s | 73.1% | 74.2% | 1.1% | Sub-Saharan Africa |
| 2010s | 76.4% | 71.9% | 4.5% | Japan |
| 2020s | 81.1% | 70.5% | 10.6% | Japan |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages), Japan or Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Japan, at 82.3% against 71.6% in Sub-Saharan Africa as of 2025.
- What is the difference in labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) between Japan and Sub-Saharan Africa?
- 10.7%, with Japan ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Japan and Sub-Saharan Africa?
- 36 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2025.
- How do Japan and Sub-Saharan Africa rank globally for labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages)?
- Japan ranks 14th and Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 14th of 187 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15-64) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Labor force participation rate is the proportion of the population ages 15-64 that is economically active: all people who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period.