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

Tanzania: Labor force (15-64 years), total was 25.29 million in 2011. ▲ Rising

Latest (2011)
25.29 million
Change on year
up 2.8%
World rank
5th
of 52 countries
All-time high
25.29 million
in 2011
All-time low
11.80 million
in 1990
Years of data
22
1990–2011

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

010.0M20.0M30.0M1990200020111990: 11.8M1991: 12.2M1992: 12.7M1993: 13.1M1994: 13.6M1995: 14.0M1996: 14.5M1997: 14.9M1998: 15.3M1999: 15.7M2000: 18.5M2001: 19.0M2002: 19.6M2003: 20.2M2004: 20.8M2005: 21.4M2006: 22.0M2007: 22.6M2008: 23.3M2009: 23.9M2010: 24.6M2011: 25.3M

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

Analysis

In 2011, labor force (15-64 years), total in Tanzania stood at 25.29 million. 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 33.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, labor force (15-64 years), total in Tanzania peaked at 25.29 million in 2011 and was at its lowest, 11.80 million, in 1990.

That places Tanzania 5th 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), total in Tanzania, year by year

Annual values for Labor force (15-64 years), total in Tanzania, 1990 to 2011.
Year Value Change
1990 11.80 million
1991 12.22 million +3.6%
1992 12.67 million +3.7%
1993 13.13 million +3.6%
1994 13.59 million +3.5%
1995 14.03 million +3.3%
1996 14.45 million +3.0%
1997 14.86 million +2.8%
1998 15.26 million +2.7%
1999 15.66 million +2.6%
2000 18.51 million +18.2%
2001 19.00 million +2.7%
2002 19.59 million +3.1%
2003 20.19 million +3.1%
2004 20.81 million +3.1%
2005 21.44 million +3.0%
2006 22.03 million +2.8%
2007 22.63 million +2.7%
2008 23.26 million +2.8%
2009 23.91 million +2.8%
2010 24.60 million +2.9%
2011 25.29 million +2.8%

Tanzania compared with similar countries

  • Tanzania's 25.29 million is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 5.47 million, 4.6× the median. (24 countries reporting)
  • Tanzania's 25.29 million is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 5.03 million, 5.0× the median. (46 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 13.77 million 11.80 million 15.66 million 10
2000s 21.14 million 18.51 million 23.91 million 10
2010s 24.94 million 24.60 million 25.29 million 2

Countries ranked near Tanzania

  1. 2 Ethiopia 46.64 million compare
  2. 3 Egypt 32.02 million compare
  3. 4 Democratic Republic of Congo 29.16 million compare
  4. 6 South Africa 21.69 million compare
  5. 7 Kenya 18.17 million compare
  6. 8 Sudan 16.17 million compare

See the full ranking of 58 places →

More work & labour data for Tanzania

All data for Tanzania →

Frequently asked questions

What is labor force (15-64 years), total in Tanzania?
Labor force (15-64 years), total in Tanzania was 25.29 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 Tanzania?
The highest recorded value was 25.29 million in 2011.
What is the lowest labor force (15-64 years), total recorded in Tanzania?
The lowest recorded value was 11.80 million in 1990.
How does Tanzania rank for labor force (15-64 years), total?
Tanzania ranks 5th out of 52 countries with data for 2011.
Is labor force (15-64 years), total rising or falling in Tanzania?
Over the last ten years it is up 33.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Tanzania 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 Tanzania. 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/tanzania/

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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.