Nigeria vs Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income): Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages)
Nigeria
83.3%
in 2025
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
71.6%
in 2025
Nigeria rank
11th
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) rank
14th
Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) over time
- Nigeria
- Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
How they compare
Nigeria currently reports 83.3% against 71.6% in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), a difference of 11.7%.
That makes Nigeria's figure about 1.2 times Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)'s.
Across all 36 years both countries report, Nigeria has been ahead every year.
Nigeria ranks 11th and Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 14th of 187 countries.
Nigeria has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Nigeria | Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 84.6% | 74.7% | 9.9% | Nigeria |
| 2000s | 83.4% | 74.2% | 9.2% | Nigeria |
| 2010s | 82.1% | 71.9% | 10.2% | Nigeria |
| 2020s | 82.1% | 70.5% | 11.7% | Nigeria |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages), Nigeria or Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Nigeria, at 83.3% against 71.6% in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) as of 2025.
- What is the difference in labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) between Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- 11.7%, with Nigeria ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- 36 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2025.
- How do Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) rank globally for labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages)?
- Nigeria ranks 11th and Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) 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.