Employment in Africa
Africa: Employment was 575,857 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
575,857
Change on year
up 2.8%
Rank
18th
of 85 groups
All-time high
575,857
in 2025
All-time low
297,491
in 2000
Years of data
26
2000–2025
Employment in Africa, 2000–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
In 2025, employment in Africa stood at 575,857. That is the highest value across all 26 years on record.
The figure is up 2.8% on the previous year and up 30.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment in Africa peaked at 575,857 in 2025 and was at its lowest, 297,491, in 2000.
That places Africa 18th out of 85 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 26 years of available data.
Employment in Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 297,491 | — |
| 2001 | 305,765 | +2.8% |
| 2002 | 313,784 | +2.6% |
| 2003 | 323,080 | +3.0% |
| 2004 | 333,742 | +3.3% |
| 2005 | 343,672 | +3.0% |
| 2006 | 353,980 | +3.0% |
| 2007 | 363,937 | +2.8% |
| 2008 | 373,285 | +2.6% |
| 2009 | 382,202 | +2.4% |
| 2010 | 391,574 | +2.5% |
| 2011 | 401,372 | +2.5% |
| 2012 | 409,759 | +2.1% |
| 2013 | 423,804 | +3.4% |
| 2014 | 431,872 | +1.9% |
| 2015 | 440,889 | +2.1% |
| 2016 | 451,246 | +2.3% |
| 2017 | 459,334 | +1.8% |
| 2018 | 470,547 | +2.4% |
| 2019 | 481,798 | +2.4% |
| 2020 | 483,507 | +0.4% |
| 2021 | 500,104 | +3.4% |
| 2022 | 523,278 | +4.6% |
| 2023 | 544,243 | +4.0% |
| 2024 | 559,983 | +2.9% |
| 2025 | 575,857 | +2.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 339,094 | 297,491 | 382,202 | 10 |
| 2010s | 436,220 | 391,574 | 481,798 | 10 |
| 2020s | 531,162 | 483,507 | 575,857 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Africa
More work & labour data for Africa
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 2.68 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.3661 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.3537 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 3.81 million 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 1.89 million 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 1.93 million 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate 0.4458 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 1.04 million 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 1.49 million 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.3781 % change on previous year (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment in Africa?
- Employment in Africa was 575,857 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest employment recorded in Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 575,857 in 2025.
- What is the lowest employment recorded in Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 297,491 in 2000.
- How does Africa rank for employment?
- Africa ranks 18th out of 85 groups with data for 2025.
- Is employment rising or falling in Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 30.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Africa data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Employment (previous ILO definition - ICLS13). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 26 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).