Labor force (15-64 years), female in Nigeria

Nigeria: Labor force (15-64 years), female was 23.65 million in 2011. ▲ Rising

Latest (2011)
23.65 million
Change on year
up 2.6%
World rank
1st
of 52 countries
All-time high
23.65 million
in 2011
All-time low
9.97 million
in 1990
Years of data
22
1990–2011

Labor force (15-64 years), female in Nigeria, 1990–2011

05.0M10.0M15.0M20.0M25.0M1990200020111990: 10.0M1991: 10.4M1992: 10.8M1993: 11.2M1994: 11.7M1995: 12.2M1996: 12.7M1997: 13.2M1998: 13.7M1999: 14.3M2000: 16.7M2001: 17.4M2002: 18.1M2003: 18.8M2004: 19.6M2005: 20.2M2006: 20.7M2007: 21.3M2008: 21.8M2009: 22.4M2010: 23.1M2011: 23.7M

Source: International Labour Organization, Key Indicators of the Labour Market database.

Analysis

Nigeria recorded 23.65 million for labor force (15-64 years), female in 2011. That is the highest value across all 22 years on record.

That represents a change of up 2.6% on the previous year and up 36.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, labor force (15-64 years), female in Nigeria peaked at 23.65 million in 2011 and was at its lowest, 9.97 million, in 1990.

That places Nigeria 1st out of 52 countries with data for 2011, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 22 years of available data.

Labor force (15-64 years), female in Nigeria, year by year

Annual values for Labor force (15-64 years), female in Nigeria, 1990 to 2011.
Year Value Change
1990 9.97 million —
1991 10.37 million +4.0%
1992 10.79 million +4.1%
1993 11.23 million +4.1%
1994 11.69 million +4.1%
1995 12.16 million +4.1%
1996 12.66 million +4.1%
1997 13.17 million +4.0%
1998 13.70 million +4.0%
1999 14.25 million +4.0%
2000 16.73 million +17.4%
2001 17.39 million +3.9%
2002 18.10 million +4.1%
2003 18.85 million +4.2%
2004 19.64 million +4.2%
2005 20.20 million +2.9%
2006 20.72 million +2.6%
2007 21.26 million +2.6%
2008 21.83 million +2.7%
2009 22.43 million +2.7%
2010 23.05 million +2.8%
2011 23.65 million +2.6%

Nigeria compared with similar countries

  • Nigeria's 23.65 million is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 2.42 million, 9.8× the median. (24 countries reporting)
  • Nigeria's 23.65 million is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 2.04 million, 11.6× the median. (46 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 12.00 million 9.97 million 14.25 million 10
2000s 19.71 million 16.73 million 22.43 million 10
2010s 23.35 million 23.05 million 23.65 million 2

Countries ranked near Nigeria

  1. 2 Ethiopia 22.23 million compare
  2. 3 Democratic Republic of Congo 14.42 million compare
  3. 4 Tanzania 12.56 million compare

See the full ranking of 58 places →

More work & labour data for Nigeria

All data for Nigeria →

Frequently asked questions

What is labor force (15-64 years), female in Nigeria?
Labor force (15-64 years), female in Nigeria was 23.65 million in 2011, according to International Labour Organization, Key Indicators of the Labour Market database.
What is the highest labor force (15-64 years), female recorded in Nigeria?
The highest recorded value was 23.65 million in 2011.
What is the lowest labor force (15-64 years), female recorded in Nigeria?
The lowest recorded value was 9.97 million in 1990.
How does Nigeria rank for labor force (15-64 years), female?
Nigeria ranks 1st out of 52 countries with data for 2011.
Is labor force (15-64 years), female rising or falling in Nigeria?
Over the last ten years it is up 36.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Nigeria data come from?
The figures come from International Labour Organization, Key Indicators of the Labour Market database, published as part of Labor force (15-64 years), female. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Labor force (15-64 years), female in Nigeria. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization, Key Indicators of the Labour Market database. Retrieved 26 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/labor-force-15-64-years-female/nigeria/

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About this data

Indicator
Labor force (15-64 years), female
Source
International Labour Organization, Key Indicators of the Labour Market database
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
58 places, 1,276 data points, 1990–2011
Last refreshed

The labor force comprising people ages 15 to 64 who meet the International Labour Organization definition of the economically active population: all people who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period. It includes both the employed and the unemployed. While national practices vary in the treatment of such groups as the armed forces and seasonal or part-time workers, in general the labor force includes the armed forces, the unemployed, and first-time job-seekers, but excludes homemakers and other unpaid caregivers and workers in the informal sector.