Employment to population ratio, 15+, male (%) in Nigeria
Nigeria: Employment to population ratio, 15+, male (%) was 82.4% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Employment to population ratio, 15+, male (%) in Nigeria, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, employment to population ratio, 15+, male (%) in Nigeria stood at 82.4%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.3% on the previous year and up 0.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment to population ratio, 15+, male (%) in Nigeria peaked at 86.8% in 1994 and was at its lowest, 79.1%, in 2020.
Nigeria ranks 13th of 187 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Employment to population ratio, 15+, male (%) in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 86.1% | — |
| 1992 | 86.5% | +0.5% |
| 1993 | 86.5% | +0.1% |
| 1994 | 86.8% | +0.3% |
| 1995 | 86.8% | -0.0% |
| 1996 | 86.6% | -0.2% |
| 1997 | 86.5% | -0.2% |
| 1998 | 86.3% | -0.2% |
| 1999 | 86.0% | -0.3% |
| 2000 | 85.7% | -0.4% |
| 2001 | 85.5% | -0.2% |
| 2002 | 85.3% | -0.3% |
| 2003 | 85.0% | -0.3% |
| 2004 | 84.7% | -0.3% |
| 2005 | 84.3% | -0.5% |
| 2006 | 83.9% | -0.5% |
| 2007 | 83.5% | -0.4% |
| 2008 | 83.3% | -0.3% |
| 2009 | 83.3% | -0.0% |
| 2010 | 82.9% | -0.4% |
| 2011 | 83.0% | +0.1% |
| 2012 | 82.8% | -0.2% |
| 2013 | 82.4% | -0.4% |
| 2014 | 82.2% | -0.3% |
| 2015 | 82.0% | -0.3% |
| 2016 | 81.6% | -0.4% |
| 2017 | 81.2% | -0.6% |
| 2018 | 80.9% | -0.3% |
| 2019 | 80.7% | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 79.1% | -1.9% |
| 2021 | 80.6% | +1.9% |
| 2022 | 83.4% | +3.5% |
| 2023 | 82.6% | -1.0% |
| 2024 | 82.6% | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 82.4% | -0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 86.5% | 86.0% | 86.8% | 9 |
| 2000s | 84.4% | 83.3% | 85.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 82.0% | 80.7% | 83.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 81.8% | 79.1% | 83.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
- 10 Solomon Islands 84.9% compare
- 11 Korea, Democratic People's Republic of 83.8% compare
- 12 Uganda 82.7% compare
- 14 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 82.2% compare
- 15 Saudi Arabia 82.1% compare
- 16 Guatemala 79.8% compare
More work & labour data for Nigeria
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.0306 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.0025 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.0591 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate 0.3624 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 2.71 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 287,130 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 123,508 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 237,227 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 239,521 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 476,748 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment to population ratio, 15+, male (%) in Nigeria?
- Employment to population ratio, 15+, male (%) in Nigeria was 82.4% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest employment to population ratio, 15+, male (%) recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 86.8% in 1994.
- What is the lowest employment to population ratio, 15+, male (%) recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 79.1% in 2020.
- How does Nigeria rank for employment to population ratio, 15+, male (%)?
- Nigeria ranks 13th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment to population ratio, 15+, male (%) rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Nigeria data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Employment to population ratio, 15+, male (%) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Employment to population ratio is the proportion of a country's population that is employed.