Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in Nigeria
Nigeria: Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) was 64.8% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in Nigeria, 1990–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in Nigeria stood at 64.8%.
That represents a change of down 0.1% on the previous year and down 4.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in Nigeria peaked at 86.8% in 1994 and was at its lowest, 61.7%, in 2020.
That places Nigeria 17th out of 186 countries 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 Nigeria, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 80.1% | — |
| 1991 | 82.4% | +2.9% |
| 1992 | 85.0% | +3.1% |
| 1993 | 86.0% | +1.3% |
| 1994 | 86.8% | +0.9% |
| 1995 | 86.8% | -0.1% |
| 1996 | 85.7% | -1.2% |
| 1997 | 84.4% | -1.5% |
| 1998 | 83.5% | -1.2% |
| 1999 | 82.4% | -1.3% |
| 2000 | 80.7% | -2.1% |
| 2001 | 79.6% | -1.3% |
| 2002 | 78.4% | -1.5% |
| 2003 | 77.2% | -1.6% |
| 2004 | 75.9% | -1.7% |
| 2005 | 74.4% | -1.9% |
| 2006 | 72.4% | -2.7% |
| 2007 | 70.7% | -2.3% |
| 2008 | 69.6% | -1.5% |
| 2009 | 70.6% | +1.4% |
| 2010 | 69.4% | -1.7% |
| 2011 | 69.5% | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 69.0% | -0.7% |
| 2013 | 68.2% | -1.2% |
| 2014 | 68.1% | -0.2% |
| 2015 | 67.7% | -0.6% |
| 2016 | 66.9% | -1.2% |
| 2017 | 65.6% | -2.0% |
| 2018 | 64.8% | -1.3% |
| 2019 | 63.7% | -1.6% |
| 2020 | 61.7% | -3.1% |
| 2021 | 62.1% | +0.6% |
| 2022 | 64.2% | +3.3% |
| 2023 | 64.9% | +1.1% |
| 2024 | 64.8% | -0.0% |
| 2025 | 64.8% | -0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 84.3% | 80.1% | 86.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 75.0% | 69.6% | 80.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 67.3% | 63.7% | 69.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 63.7% | 61.7% | 64.9% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
- 14 New Zealand 65.8% compare
- 15 Switzerland 65.6% compare
- 16 Mozambique 65.0% compare
- 18 Canada 63.1% compare
- 19 South Sudan 62.7% compare
- 20 Bolivia 61.2% compare
More work & labour data for Nigeria
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.0306 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.0025 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.0591 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate 0.3624 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 2.71 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 287,130 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 123,508 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 237,227 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 239,521 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 476,748 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in Nigeria?
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in Nigeria was 64.8% 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 Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 86.8% in 1994.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 61.7% in 2020.
- How does Nigeria rank for labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%)?
- Nigeria ranks 17th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Nigeria 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.
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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.