Labor force, male in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Labor force, male was 188.80 million in 2011. ▲ Rising
Labor force, male in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1990–2011
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators database. Estimates are based on data obtained from International Labour Organization and United Nations Population Division.
Analysis
Sub-Saharan Africa recorded 188.80 million for labor force, male in 2011. That is the highest value across all 22 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.1% on the previous year and up 31.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force, male in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 188.80 million in 2011 and was at its lowest, 108.54 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 | 122.32 million | 108.54 million | 136.89 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 158.26 million | 140.51 million | 178.33 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 186.00 million | 183.21 million | 188.80 million | 2 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
- 1 Nigeria 29.58 million compare
- 2 Ethiopia 22.25 million compare
- 3 Egypt, Arab Rep. 20.98 million compare
- 4 Congo, Dem. Rep. 13.10 million compare
- 5 Tanzania 11.44 million compare
More work & labour data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) 53.4% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 75.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 70.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) 49.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) 51.4% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 76.5% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 86.9% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15 65.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15 66.7% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15-6 71.6% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force, male in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Labor force, male in Sub-Saharan Africa was 188.80 million in 2011, according to World Bank, World Development Indicators database. Estimates are based on data obtained from International Labour Organization and United Nations Population Division.
- What is the highest labor force, male recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 188.80 million in 2011.
- What is the lowest labor force, male recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 108.54 million in 1990.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for labor force, male?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 2nd out of 6 groups with data for 2011.
- Is labor force, male rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 31.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank, World Development Indicators database. Estimates are based on data obtained from International Labour Organization and United Nations Population Division, published as part of Labor force, male. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Male labor force comprises men ages 15 and older who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period. It includes people who are currently employed and people who are unemployed but seeking work as well as first-time job-seekers. Not everyone who works is included, however. Unpaid workers, family workers, and students are often omitted, and some countries do not count members of the armed forces. Labor force size tends to vary during the year as seasonal workers enter and leave.