Labor force (15-64 years), male in Africa
Africa: Labor force (15-64 years), male was 263.14 million in 2011. β² Rising
Labor force (15-64 years), male in Africa, 1990β2011
Source: International Labour Organization, Key Indicators of the Labour Market database.
Analysis
The most recent figure for labor force (15-64 years), male in Africa is 263.14 million, measured in 2011. That is the highest value across all 22 years on record.
That represents a change of up 2.8% on the previous year and up 30.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force (15-64 years), male in Africa peaked at 263.14 million in 2011 and was at its lowest, 131.63 million, in 1990.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 22 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 148.12 million | 131.63 million | 165.92 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 221.76 million | 196.83 million | 249.43 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 259.61 million | 256.08 million | 263.14 million | 2 |
Countries ranked near Africa
More work & labour data for Africa
- Population - Est. & Proj. β Urban population 1.49 million 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. β Rural population 1.04 million 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. β Total Population - Female 1.93 million 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. β Total Population - Male 1.89 million 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. β Total Population - Both sexes 3.81 million 1000 No (2100)
- Manufacturing employment as a proportion of total employment - 13th 7.8% (2025)
- Unemployment rate, by sex and age - 13th ICLS 6.3% (2025)
- Level of national compliance with labour rights (freedom of) 2.66 score (2024)
- Proportion of informal employment, by sector and sex - 13th ICLS 84.4% (2025)
- Proportion of adults (15 years and older) out of labor force with an 41.4% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force (15-64 years), male in Africa?
- Labor force (15-64 years), male in Africa was 263.14 million in 2011, according to International Labour Organization, Key Indicators of the Labour Market database.
- What is the highest labor force (15-64 years), male recorded in Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 263.14 million in 2011.
- What is the lowest labor force (15-64 years), male recorded in Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 131.63 million in 1990.
- How does Africa rank for labor force (15-64 years), male?
- Africa ranks 1st out of 6 groups with data for 2011.
- Is labor force (15-64 years), male rising or falling in Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 30.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Africa 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), male. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV Β· JSON β 22 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
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.