Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in Africa Western and Central
Africa Western and Central: Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) was 52.2% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in Africa Western and Central, 1990–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Africa Western and Central recorded 52.2% for labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in 2025.
That represents a change of down 0.2% on the previous year and down 6.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in Africa Western and Central peaked at 69.8% in 1994 and was at its lowest, 51.1%, in 2020.
That places Africa Western and Central 1st out of 47 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.
Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in Africa Western and Central, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 66.8% | — |
| 1991 | 67.8% | +1.6% |
| 1992 | 69.0% | +1.7% |
| 1993 | 69.5% | +0.7% |
| 1994 | 69.8% | +0.4% |
| 1995 | 69.6% | -0.2% |
| 1996 | 69.0% | -0.9% |
| 1997 | 68.3% | -1.0% |
| 1998 | 67.8% | -0.8% |
| 1999 | 67.2% | -0.9% |
| 2000 | 66.3% | -1.4% |
| 2001 | 65.6% | -1.0% |
| 2002 | 64.9% | -1.1% |
| 2003 | 64.1% | -1.3% |
| 2004 | 63.4% | -1.2% |
| 2005 | 62.5% | -1.4% |
| 2006 | 61.4% | -1.8% |
| 2007 | 60.4% | -1.6% |
| 2008 | 59.5% | -1.5% |
| 2009 | 59.5% | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 58.6% | -1.5% |
| 2011 | 58.4% | -0.4% |
| 2012 | 57.8% | -0.9% |
| 2013 | 57.1% | -1.3% |
| 2014 | 56.5% | -1.0% |
| 2015 | 55.9% | -0.9% |
| 2016 | 55.4% | -0.9% |
| 2017 | 54.2% | -2.3% |
| 2018 | 53.4% | -1.4% |
| 2019 | 52.6% | -1.6% |
| 2020 | 51.1% | -2.7% |
| 2021 | 51.4% | +0.6% |
| 2022 | 52.4% | +1.9% |
| 2023 | 52.5% | +0.2% |
| 2024 | 52.3% | -0.4% |
| 2025 | 52.2% | -0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 68.5% | 66.8% | 69.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 62.8% | 59.5% | 66.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 56.0% | 52.6% | 58.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 52.0% | 51.1% | 52.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Africa Western and Central
- 1 Netherlands 83.3% compare
- 2 Iceland 82.1% compare
- 3 Korea, Democratic People's Republic of 78.5% compare
- 4 Madagascar 72.4% compare
More work & labour data for Africa Western and Central
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) 49.9% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 72.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 77.3% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 87.9% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) 54.5% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 73.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 68.5% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 78.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 67.3% (2025)
- Employment in industry, female (% of female employment) 14.7% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in Africa Western and Central?
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in Africa Western and Central was 52.2% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) recorded in Africa Western and Central?
- The highest recorded value was 69.8% in 1994.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) recorded in Africa Western and Central?
- The lowest recorded value was 51.1% in 2020.
- How does Africa Western and Central rank for labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%)?
- Africa Western and Central ranks 1st out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) rising or falling in Africa Western and Central?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Africa Western and Central data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24 is the proportion of the population ages 15-24 that is economically active: all people who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period.