Employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, total (%) in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income): Employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, total (%) was 47.1% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, total (%) in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) recorded 47.1% for employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, total (%) in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.2% on the previous year and down 2.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, total (%) in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) peaked at 55.9% in 1995 and was at its lowest, 44.6%, in 2020.
That places Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) 3rd out of 47 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, total (%) in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 55.0% | — |
| 1992 | 55.5% | +0.8% |
| 1993 | 55.7% | +0.3% |
| 1994 | 55.8% | +0.3% |
| 1995 | 55.9% | +0.1% |
| 1996 | 55.7% | -0.2% |
| 1997 | 55.5% | -0.4% |
| 1998 | 55.2% | -0.6% |
| 1999 | 54.6% | -0.9% |
| 2000 | 54.1% | -0.9% |
| 2001 | 53.8% | -0.7% |
| 2002 | 53.4% | -0.6% |
| 2003 | 53.1% | -0.7% |
| 2004 | 52.8% | -0.5% |
| 2005 | 52.5% | -0.6% |
| 2006 | 52.0% | -0.9% |
| 2007 | 51.5% | -1.0% |
| 2008 | 51.0% | -1.0% |
| 2009 | 50.7% | -0.7% |
| 2010 | 49.9% | -1.6% |
| 2011 | 50.1% | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 49.2% | -1.7% |
| 2013 | 50.0% | +1.7% |
| 2014 | 49.0% | -2.1% |
| 2015 | 48.5% | -1.1% |
| 2016 | 48.0% | -1.1% |
| 2017 | 47.0% | -1.9% |
| 2018 | 46.3% | -1.5% |
| 2019 | 45.7% | -1.4% |
| 2020 | 44.6% | -2.4% |
| 2021 | 44.9% | +0.8% |
| 2022 | 46.0% | +2.3% |
| 2023 | 47.3% | +2.9% |
| 2024 | 47.2% | -0.3% |
| 2025 | 47.1% | -0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 55.4% | 54.6% | 55.9% | 9 |
| 2000s | 52.5% | 50.7% | 54.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 48.4% | 45.7% | 50.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 46.2% | 44.6% | 47.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
- 1 Netherlands 75.9% compare
- 2 Iceland 75.0% compare
- 3 Korea, Democratic People's Republic of 72.3% compare
- 4 Niger 70.4% compare
- 5 Cambodia 70.0% compare
- 6 Tanzania, United Republic of 69.1% compare
More work & labour data for Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 75.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 70.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) 49.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) 53.4% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) 51.4% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 66.7% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 71.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 76.5% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 86.9% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 65.2% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, total (%) in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, total (%) in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) was 47.1% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, total (%) recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 55.9% in 1995.
- What is the lowest employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, total (%) recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 44.6% in 2020.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) rank for employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, total (%)?
- Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 3rd out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, total (%) rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) 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, total (%) (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.