Employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, male (%) in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, male (%) was 49.3% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, male (%) in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
The most recent figure for employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, male (%) in Sub-Saharan Africa is 49.3%, measured in 2025.
The figure is down 0.3% on the previous year and down 3.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, male (%) in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 58.5% in 1995 and was at its lowest, 48.2%, in 2020.
That places Sub-Saharan Africa 11th out of 47 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, male (%) in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 57.9% | — |
| 1992 | 58.3% | +0.7% |
| 1993 | 58.4% | +0.1% |
| 1994 | 58.4% | +0.1% |
| 1995 | 58.5% | +0.1% |
| 1996 | 58.5% | -0.0% |
| 1997 | 58.3% | -0.3% |
| 1998 | 57.9% | -0.6% |
| 1999 | 57.3% | -1.0% |
| 2000 | 56.7% | -1.1% |
| 2001 | 56.3% | -0.7% |
| 2002 | 56.0% | -0.6% |
| 2003 | 55.6% | -0.7% |
| 2004 | 55.3% | -0.5% |
| 2005 | 55.0% | -0.6% |
| 2006 | 54.6% | -0.8% |
| 2007 | 54.1% | -0.9% |
| 2008 | 53.6% | -0.8% |
| 2009 | 53.3% | -0.6% |
| 2010 | 52.5% | -1.5% |
| 2011 | 52.6% | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 51.8% | -1.5% |
| 2013 | 52.7% | +1.8% |
| 2014 | 51.7% | -1.9% |
| 2015 | 51.3% | -0.9% |
| 2016 | 50.9% | -0.7% |
| 2017 | 50.0% | -1.8% |
| 2018 | 49.4% | -1.1% |
| 2019 | 48.9% | -1.1% |
| 2020 | 48.2% | -1.4% |
| 2021 | 48.4% | +0.4% |
| 2022 | 49.7% | +2.6% |
| 2023 | 49.7% | -0.0% |
| 2024 | 49.5% | -0.4% |
| 2025 | 49.3% | -0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 58.2% | 57.3% | 58.5% | 9 |
| 2000s | 55.1% | 53.3% | 56.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 51.2% | 48.9% | 52.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 49.1% | 48.2% | 49.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
- 8 Madagascar 69.9% compare
- 9 Korea, Democratic People's Republic of 69.9% compare
- 10 Solomon Islands 68.3% compare
- 11 Guatemala 66.9% compare
- 12 Nicaragua 66.0% compare
- 13 Eritrea 65.1% compare
- 14 Australia 62.6% compare
More work & labour data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 239,462 (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 70.23 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 564,978 (2027)
- Labour dependency ratio 1.5 (2027)
- Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) 5.73 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP 11,723 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2015 US $ 4,279 (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 66.21 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 3.04 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate 2.92 % change on previous year (2027)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, male (%) in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, male (%) in Sub-Saharan Africa was 49.3% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, male (%) recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 58.5% in 1995.
- What is the lowest employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, male (%) recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 48.2% in 2020.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, male (%)?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 11th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, male (%) rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- 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 Employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, 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.