Jobs gap in Eastern Africa

Eastern Africa: Jobs gap was 34,410 in 2027. ▲ Rising

Latest (2027)
34,410
Change on year
up 2.9%
Rank
33rd
of 87 groups
All-time high
34,410
in 2027
All-time low
17,382
in 2004
Years of data
24
2004–2027

Jobs gap in Eastern Africa, 2004–2027

010.0k20.0k30.0k2004201520272004: 17.4k2005: 17.5k2006: 17.8k2007: 18.1k2008: 18.6k2009: 19.4k2010: 20.2k2011: 20.3k2012: 20.3k2013: 20.3k2014: 20.9k2015: 21.8k2016: 22.6k2017: 23.7k2018: 24.9k2019: 26.6k2020: 29.9k2021: 29.2k2022: 29.9k2023: 30.3k2024: 31.6k2025: 32.5k2026: 33.4k2027: 34.4k

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

Eastern Africa recorded 34,410 for jobs gap in 2027. That is the highest value across all 24 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.9% on the previous year and up 45.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, jobs gap in Eastern Africa peaked at 34,410 in 2027 and was at its lowest, 17,382, in 2004.

Eastern Africa ranks 33rd of 87 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.

Jobs gap in Eastern Africa, year by year

Annual values for Jobs gap in Eastern Africa, 2004 to 2027.
Year Value Change
2004 17,382
2005 17,458 +0.4%
2006 17,792 +1.9%
2007 18,124 +1.9%
2008 18,561 +2.4%
2009 19,359 +4.3%
2010 20,189 +4.3%
2011 20,263 +0.4%
2012 20,293 +0.1%
2013 20,317 +0.1%
2014 20,948 +3.1%
2015 21,769 +3.9%
2016 22,610 +3.9%
2017 23,720 +4.9%
2018 24,925 +5.1%
2019 26,591 +6.7%
2020 29,907 +12.5%
2021 29,209 -2.3%
2022 29,939 +2.5%
2023 30,303 +1.2%
2024 31,563 +4.2%
2025 32,541 +3.1%
2026 33,425 +2.7%
2027 34,410 +2.9%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 18,112 17,382 19,359 6
2010s 22,162 20,189 26,591 10
2020s 31,412 29,209 34,410 8

Countries ranked near Eastern Africa

  1. 30 Honduras 551.1 compare
  2. 31 Portugal 532.69 compare
  3. 32 Belgium 517.87 compare
  4. 33 Finland 443.09 compare
  5. 34 Georgia 420.52 compare
  6. 35 Armenia 407.29 compare
  7. 36 Denmark 400.18 compare

See the full ranking of 157 places →

More work & labour data for Eastern Africa

All data for Eastern Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is jobs gap in Eastern Africa?
Jobs gap in Eastern Africa was 34,410 in 2027, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest jobs gap recorded in Eastern Africa?
The highest recorded value was 34,410 in 2027.
What is the lowest jobs gap recorded in Eastern Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 17,382 in 2004.
How does Eastern Africa rank for jobs gap?
Eastern Africa ranks 33rd out of 87 groups with data for 2027.
Is jobs gap rising or falling in Eastern Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 45.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Eastern Africa data come from?
The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Jobs gap. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Jobs gap in Eastern Africa. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 07 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/jobs-gap/eastern-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Jobs gap
Source
International Labour Organization
Licence
ILO Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
157 places, 3,301 data points, 1991–2027
Last refreshed

With the aim of promoting international comparability, statistics presented on ILOSTAT are based on standard international definitions wherever feasible and may differ from official national figures. This series is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. For time series comparability, it includes countries that have implemented the 19th ICLS standards, for which data are also available in the Work Statistics -- 19th ICLS (WORK) database. The jobs gap is defined as the sum of the unemployed, the potential labour force and willing non-jobseekers. For more information, refer to the Labour Force Statistics (LFS and STLFS) database description.