Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) … national in Ghana
Ghana: Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) … national was 38.5% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in Ghana, 1960–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in Ghana stood at 38.5%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 10.1% on the previous year and down 11.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in Ghana peaked at 68.1% in 1998 and was at its lowest, 26.4%, in 2021.
That places Ghana 93rd out of 176 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 18 years of available data.
Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) … national in Ghana, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 63.9% | — |
| 1970 | 54.9% | -14.1% |
| 1989 | 41.7% | -24.0% |
| 1991 | 59.2% | +41.9% |
| 1992 | 46.7% | -21.1% |
| 1998 | 68.1% | +45.9% |
| 1999 | 68.1% | -0.1% |
| 2000 | 53.7% | -21.2% |
| 2006 | 31.7% | -41.0% |
| 2010 | 44.3% | +39.8% |
| 2013 | 53.9% | +21.8% |
| 2015 | 43.4% | -19.4% |
| 2017 | 46.4% | +6.7% |
| 2021 | 26.4% | -43.0% |
| 2022 | 38.3% | +45.1% |
| 2023 | 38.8% | +1.3% |
| 2024 | 34.9% | -10.0% |
| 2025 | 38.5% | +10.1% |
Ghana compared with similar countries
- Ghana's 38.5% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 37.2%, 1.0× the median. (38 countries reporting)
- Ghana's 38.5% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 41.4%, 93% of the median. (35 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 63.9% | 63.9% | 63.9% | 1 |
| 1970s | 54.9% | 54.9% | 54.9% | 1 |
| 1980s | 41.7% | 41.7% | 41.7% | 1 |
| 1990s | 60.5% | 46.7% | 68.1% | 4 |
| 2000s | 42.7% | 31.7% | 53.7% | 2 |
| 2010s | 47.0% | 43.4% | 53.9% | 4 |
| 2020s | 35.4% | 26.4% | 38.8% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Ghana
More work & labour data for Ghana
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.1512 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.1464 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.1562 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -0.2734 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 1.99 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 37,518 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 13,752 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 34,429 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 33,119 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 67,548 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in Ghana?
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) in Ghana was 38.5% in 2025, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) recorded in Ghana?
- The highest recorded value was 68.1% in 1998.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) recorded in Ghana?
- The lowest recorded value was 26.4% in 2021.
- How does Ghana rank for labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%)?
- Ghana ranks 93rd out of 176 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) rising or falling in Ghana?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ghana data come from?
- The figures come from Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) (national estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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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.