Jobs gap in Western Africa

Western Africa: Jobs gap was 24,115 in 2027. ▲ Rising

Latest (2027)
24,115
Change on year
up 3.4%
Rank
41st
of 87 groups
All-time high
25,775
in 2020
All-time low
16,277
in 2004
Years of data
24
2004–2027

Jobs gap in Western Africa, 2004–2027

010.0k20.0k30.0k2004201520272004: 16.3k2005: 16.7k2006: 16.9k2007: 17.2k2008: 17.6k2009: 18.0k2010: 18.2k2011: 18.6k2012: 19.1k2013: 18.9k2014: 20.0k2015: 21.5k2016: 22.5k2017: 22.2k2018: 22.9k2019: 23.3k2020: 25.8k2021: 25.1k2022: 22.9k2023: 21.7k2024: 21.9k2025: 22.6k2026: 23.3k2027: 24.1k

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

Western Africa recorded 24,115 for jobs gap in 2027.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.4% on the previous year and up 8.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, jobs gap in Western Africa peaked at 25,775 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 16,277, in 2004.

Western Africa ranks 41st 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 Western Africa, year by year

Annual values for Jobs gap in Western Africa, 2004 to 2027.
Year Value Change
2004 16,277 —
2005 16,680 +2.5%
2006 16,862 +1.1%
2007 17,235 +2.2%
2008 17,585 +2.0%
2009 17,994 +2.3%
2010 18,246 +1.4%
2011 18,630 +2.1%
2012 19,061 +2.3%
2013 18,866 -1.0%
2014 19,999 +6.0%
2015 21,515 +7.6%
2016 22,516 +4.7%
2017 22,215 -1.3%
2018 22,901 +3.1%
2019 23,316 +1.8%
2020 25,775 +10.5%
2021 25,080 -2.7%
2022 22,947 -8.5%
2023 21,677 -5.5%
2024 21,872 +0.9%
2025 22,579 +3.2%
2026 23,332 +3.3%
2027 24,115 +3.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 17,105 16,277 17,994 6
2010s 20,726 18,246 23,316 10
2020s 23,422 21,677 25,775 8

Countries ranked near Western Africa

  1. 38 Serbia 379.29 compare
  2. 39 Belarus 363.45 compare
  3. 40 Ireland 363.37 compare
  4. 41 Norway 343 compare
  5. 42 Hungary 331.11 compare
  6. 43 Palestine 318.44 compare
  7. 44 Czechia 245.82 compare

See the full ranking of 157 places →

More work & labour data for Western Africa

All data for Western Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is jobs gap in Western Africa?
Jobs gap in Western Africa was 24,115 in 2027, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest jobs gap recorded in Western Africa?
The highest recorded value was 25,775 in 2020.
What is the lowest jobs gap recorded in Western Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 16,277 in 2004.
How does Western Africa rank for jobs gap?
Western Africa ranks 41st out of 87 groups with data for 2027.
Is jobs gap rising or falling in Western Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 8.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Western 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 Western Africa. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 27 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/jobs-gap/western-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.