Labor force (15-64 years), total in Africa

Africa: Labor force (15-64 years), total was 456.58 million in 2011. ▲ Rising

Latest (2011)
456.58 million
Change on year
up 2.8%
Rank
1st
of 6 groups
All-time high
456.58 million
in 2011
All-time low
219.03 million
in 1990
Years of data
22
1990–2011

Labor force (15-64 years), total in Africa, 1990–2011

0100.0M200.0M300.0M400.0M500.0M1990200020111990: 219.0M1991: 224.7M1992: 231.1M1993: 238.3M1994: 245.9M1995: 252.7M1996: 259.8M1997: 267.0M1998: 274.2M1999: 282.5M2000: 335.9M2001: 345.0M2002: 354.5M2003: 365.2M2004: 376.2M2005: 387.4M2006: 397.2M2007: 408.9M2008: 421.1M2009: 432.4M2010: 444.1M2011: 456.6M

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for labor force (15-64 years), total in Africa is 456.58 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 32.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, labor force (15-64 years), total in Africa peaked at 456.58 million in 2011 and was at its lowest, 219.03 million, in 1990.

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

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 249.53 million 219.03 million 282.47 million 10
2000s 382.38 million 335.91 million 432.39 million 10
2010s 450.32 million 444.07 million 456.58 million 2

Countries ranked near Africa

  1. 1 Nigeria 55.64 million compare
  2. 2 Ethiopia 46.64 million compare
  3. 3 Egypt 32.02 million compare
  4. 4 Democratic Republic of Congo 29.16 million compare

See the full ranking of 58 places →

More work & labour data for Africa

All data for Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is labor force (15-64 years), total in Africa?
Labor force (15-64 years), total in Africa was 456.58 million in 2011, according to International Labour Organization, Key Indicators of the Labour Market database.
What is the highest labor force (15-64 years), total recorded in Africa?
The highest recorded value was 456.58 million in 2011.
What is the lowest labor force (15-64 years), total recorded in Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 219.03 million in 1990.
How does Africa rank for labor force (15-64 years), total?
Africa ranks 1st out of 6 groups with data for 2011.
Is labor force (15-64 years), total rising or falling in Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 32.3%. 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), total. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Labor force (15-64 years), total
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.