Employment in Western Africa
Western Africa: Employment was 197,744 in 2025. β² Rising
Employment in Western Africa, 2000β2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
Western Africa recorded 197,744 for employment in 2025. That is the highest value across all 26 years on record.
The figure is up 2.9% on the previous year and up 35.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment in Western Africa peaked at 197,744 in 2025 and was at its lowest, 98,677, in 2000.
That places Western Africa 44th out of 87 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 26 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 111,650 | 98,677 | 125,272 | 10 |
| 2010s | 144,650 | 128,619 | 161,834 | 10 |
| 2020s | 181,404 | 163,243 | 197,744 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Western Africa
- 41 CΓ΄te d'Ivoire 11,586 compare
- 42 Taiwan Province of China 11,504 compare
- 43 Algeria 10,858 compare
- 44 Morocco 10,749 compare
- 45 Netherlands 9,899 compare
- 46 Cambodia 9,756 compare
- 47 Chile 9,415 compare
More work & labour data for Western Africa
- Population - Est. & Proj. β Total Population - Both sexes 1.07 million 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. β Total Population - Male 532,234 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. β Total Population - Female 537,547 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. β Rural population 293,084 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. β Urban population 516,634 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. β Urban population, annual growth rate 2.78 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. β Rural population, annual growth rate 0.6577 % change on previous year (2050)
- Manufacturing employment as a proportion of total employment - 13th 11.4% (2025)
- Unemployment rate, by sex and age - 13th ICLS 2.9% (2025)
- Level of national compliance with labour rights (freedom of) 2.33 score (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment in Western Africa?
- Employment in Western Africa was 197,744 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest employment recorded in Western Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 197,744 in 2025.
- What is the lowest employment recorded in Western Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 98,677 in 2000.
- How does Western Africa rank for employment?
- Western Africa ranks 44th out of 87 groups with data for 2025.
- Is employment rising or falling in Western Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 35.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Western 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 Β· JSON β 26 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).