Employers, total (% of total employment) in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Employers, total (% of total employment) was 6.7% in 2025. ▬ Flat
Employers, total (% of total employment) in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, employers, total (% of total employment) in Sub-Saharan Africa stood at 6.7%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.1% on the previous year and up 7.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employers, total (% of total employment) in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 6.7% in 1997 and was at its lowest, 6.2%, in 2015.
That places Sub-Saharan Africa 4th out of 47 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
Employers, total (% of total employment) in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 6.5% | — |
| 1992 | 6.6% | +0.6% |
| 1993 | 6.6% | +0.1% |
| 1994 | 6.6% | +0.5% |
| 1995 | 6.6% | +0.6% |
| 1996 | 6.7% | +0.5% |
| 1997 | 6.7% | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 6.6% | -0.7% |
| 1999 | 6.6% | -0.1% |
| 2000 | 6.6% | -0.2% |
| 2001 | 6.5% | -0.9% |
| 2002 | 6.5% | -0.6% |
| 2003 | 6.5% | -0.2% |
| 2004 | 6.5% | -0.3% |
| 2005 | 6.4% | -0.8% |
| 2006 | 6.4% | -0.3% |
| 2007 | 6.3% | -1.3% |
| 2008 | 6.3% | -0.5% |
| 2009 | 6.2% | -0.9% |
| 2010 | 6.3% | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 6.3% | +0.1% |
| 2012 | 6.2% | -0.3% |
| 2013 | 6.2% | -0.8% |
| 2014 | 6.2% | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 6.2% | -0.5% |
| 2016 | 6.2% | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 6.2% | +0.6% |
| 2018 | 6.3% | +1.6% |
| 2019 | 6.5% | +1.9% |
| 2020 | 6.5% | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 6.6% | +1.9% |
| 2022 | 6.6% | +0.3% |
| 2023 | 6.6% | +0.2% |
| 2024 | 6.7% | +0.6% |
| 2025 | 6.7% | -0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 6.6% | 6.5% | 6.7% | 9 |
| 2000s | 6.4% | 6.2% | 6.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.3% | 6.2% | 6.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.6% | 6.5% | 6.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
- 1 Djibouti 20.8% compare
- 2 Nigeria 19.7% compare
- 3 Timor-Leste 16.2% compare
- 4 Azerbaijan 13.1% compare
- 5 Uzbekistan 12.1% compare
- 6 Honduras 10.2% compare
- 7 Angola 9.6% compare
More work & labour data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 70.23 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 564,978 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 239,462 (2027)
- Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) 5.73 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate 2.92 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour dependency ratio 1.5 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP 11,723 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 3.04 % change on previous year (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 66.21 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2015 US $ 4,279 (2027)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employers, total (% of total employment) in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Employers, total (% of total employment) in Sub-Saharan Africa was 6.7% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest employers, total (% of total employment) recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 6.7% in 1997.
- What is the lowest employers, total (% of total employment) recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.2% in 2015.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for employers, total (% of total employment)?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 4th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is employers, total (% of total employment) rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Employers, total (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Employers are those workers who, working on their own account or with one or a few partners, hold the type of jobs defined as a "self-employment jobs" i.e. jobs where the remuneration is directly dependent upon the profits derived from the goods and services produced), and, in this capacity, have engaged, on a continuous basis, one or more persons to work for them as employee(s).