Employment to population ratio in Nigeria
Nigeria: Employment to population ratio was 79.99 in 2025. ▬ Flat
Latest (2025)
79.99
Change on year
down 0.1%
World rank
6th
of 186 countries
All-time high
80.6
in 1995
All-time low
74.78
in 2020
Years of data
35
1991–2025
Employment to population ratio in Nigeria, 1991–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for employment to population ratio in Nigeria is 79.99, measured in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.1% on the previous year and up 3.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment to population ratio in Nigeria peaked at 80.6 in 1995 and was at its lowest, 74.78, in 2020.
Nigeria ranks 6th of 186 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
Employment to population ratio in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 79.23 | — |
| 1992 | 79.87 | +0.8% |
| 1993 | 80.06 | +0.2% |
| 1994 | 80.55 | +0.6% |
| 1995 | 80.6 | +0.1% |
| 1996 | 80.5 | -0.1% |
| 1997 | 80.48 | -0.0% |
| 1998 | 80.39 | -0.1% |
| 1999 | 80.27 | -0.1% |
| 2000 | 80.08 | -0.2% |
| 2001 | 79.94 | -0.2% |
| 2002 | 79.9 | -0.1% |
| 2003 | 79.67 | -0.3% |
| 2004 | 79.48 | -0.2% |
| 2005 | 79.11 | -0.5% |
| 2006 | 78.89 | -0.3% |
| 2007 | 78.69 | -0.2% |
| 2008 | 78.51 | -0.2% |
| 2009 | 78.45 | -0.1% |
| 2010 | 78.24 | -0.3% |
| 2011 | 78.06 | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 78.01 | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 77.84 | -0.2% |
| 2014 | 77.61 | -0.3% |
| 2015 | 77.45 | -0.2% |
| 2016 | 77.21 | -0.3% |
| 2017 | 76.98 | -0.3% |
| 2018 | 76.85 | -0.2% |
| 2019 | 76.78 | -0.1% |
| 2020 | 74.78 | -2.6% |
| 2021 | 75.81 | +1.4% |
| 2022 | 78.16 | +3.1% |
| 2023 | 80.02 | +2.4% |
| 2024 | 80.05 | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 79.99 | -0.1% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 79.99 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 54.36, 1.5× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 79.99 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 58.81, 1.4× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 80.22 | 79.23 | 80.6 | 9 |
| 2000s | 79.27 | 78.45 | 80.08 | 10 |
| 2010s | 77.5 | 76.78 | 78.24 | 10 |
| 2020s | 78.14 | 74.78 | 80.05 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
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 in Nigeria?
- Employment to population ratio in Nigeria was 79.99 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest employment to population ratio recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 80.6 in 1995.
- What is the lowest employment to population ratio recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 74.78 in 2020.
- How does Nigeria rank for employment to population ratio?
- Nigeria ranks 6th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment to population ratio rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Nigeria data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Employment to population ratio. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).