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

Nigeria: Labor force (15-64 years), total was 55.64 million in 2011. ▲ Rising

Latest (2011)
55.64 million
Change on year
up 2.8%
World rank
1st
of 52 countries
All-time high
55.64 million
in 2011
All-time low
29.24 million
in 1990
Years of data
22
1990–2011

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

020.0M40.0M60.0M1990200020111990: 29.2M1991: 30.0M1992: 30.8M1993: 31.6M1994: 32.4M1995: 33.2M1996: 34.0M1997: 34.8M1998: 35.6M1999: 36.4M2000: 42.4M2001: 43.2M2002: 44.0M2003: 44.9M2004: 45.7M2005: 47.1M2006: 48.4M2007: 49.7M2008: 51.1M2009: 52.6M2010: 54.1M2011: 55.6M

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

Analysis

Nigeria recorded 55.64 million for labor force (15-64 years), total in 2011. That is the highest value across all 22 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.8% on the previous year and up 28.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, labor force (15-64 years), total in Nigeria peaked at 55.64 million in 2011 and was at its lowest, 29.24 million, in 1990.

Nigeria ranks 1st of 52 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

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

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

Annual values for Labor force (15-64 years), total in Nigeria, 1990 to 2011.
Year Value Change
1990 29.24 million
1991 30.01 million +2.6%
1992 30.79 million +2.6%
1993 31.59 million +2.6%
1994 32.39 million +2.5%
1995 33.20 million +2.5%
1996 34.01 million +2.4%
1997 34.81 million +2.4%
1998 35.61 million +2.3%
1999 36.40 million +2.2%
2000 42.44 million +16.6%
2001 43.23 million +1.9%
2002 44.05 million +1.9%
2003 44.87 million +1.9%
2004 45.68 million +1.8%
2005 47.07 million +3.0%
2006 48.35 million +2.7%
2007 49.71 million +2.8%
2008 51.13 million +2.9%
2009 52.61 million +2.9%
2010 54.15 million +2.9%
2011 55.64 million +2.8%

Nigeria compared with similar countries

  • Nigeria's 55.64 million is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 5.47 million, 10.2× the median. (24 countries reporting)
  • Nigeria's 55.64 million is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 5.03 million, 11.1× the median. (46 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 32.80 million 29.24 million 36.40 million 10
2000s 46.91 million 42.44 million 52.61 million 10
2010s 54.89 million 54.15 million 55.64 million 2

Countries ranked near Nigeria

  1. 2 Ethiopia 46.64 million compare
  2. 3 Egypt 32.02 million compare
  3. 4 Democratic Republic of Congo 29.16 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), total in Nigeria?
Labor force (15-64 years), total in Nigeria was 55.64 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 Nigeria?
The highest recorded value was 55.64 million in 2011.
What is the lowest labor force (15-64 years), total recorded in Nigeria?
The lowest recorded value was 29.24 million in 1990.
How does Nigeria rank for labor force (15-64 years), total?
Nigeria ranks 1st out of 52 countries with data for 2011.
Is labor force (15-64 years), total rising or falling in Nigeria?
Over the last ten years it is up 28.7%. 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), total. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Labor force (15-64 years), total in Nigeria. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization, Key Indicators of the Labour Market database. Retrieved 22 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/labor-force-15-64-years-total/nigeria/

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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.