Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) in Africa Western and Central
Africa Western and Central: Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) was 77.3% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) in Africa Western and Central, 1990–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) in Africa Western and Central stood at 77.3%.
The figure is down 0.1% on the previous year and down 2.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) in Africa Western and Central peaked at 84.1% in 1994 and was at its lowest, 77.1%, in 2020.
That places Africa Western and Central 4th 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, male (% of male population ages 15+) in Africa Western and Central, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 83.6% | — |
| 1991 | 83.7% | +0.2% |
| 1992 | 83.9% | +0.2% |
| 1993 | 84.0% | +0.2% |
| 1994 | 84.1% | +0.1% |
| 1995 | 84.1% | -0.1% |
| 1996 | 83.9% | -0.2% |
| 1997 | 83.7% | -0.2% |
| 1998 | 83.6% | -0.2% |
| 1999 | 83.4% | -0.2% |
| 2000 | 83.1% | -0.4% |
| 2001 | 82.9% | -0.3% |
| 2002 | 82.5% | -0.4% |
| 2003 | 82.3% | -0.3% |
| 2004 | 82.0% | -0.3% |
| 2005 | 81.8% | -0.3% |
| 2006 | 81.5% | -0.3% |
| 2007 | 81.2% | -0.3% |
| 2008 | 80.9% | -0.4% |
| 2009 | 80.7% | -0.3% |
| 2010 | 80.3% | -0.5% |
| 2011 | 80.2% | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 79.9% | -0.4% |
| 2013 | 79.6% | -0.4% |
| 2014 | 79.3% | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 79.0% | -0.3% |
| 2016 | 79.1% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 78.6% | -0.6% |
| 2018 | 78.5% | -0.2% |
| 2019 | 78.3% | -0.2% |
| 2020 | 77.1% | -1.5% |
| 2021 | 77.5% | +0.5% |
| 2022 | 78.2% | +1.0% |
| 2023 | 77.6% | -0.8% |
| 2024 | 77.4% | -0.2% |
| 2025 | 77.3% | -0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 83.8% | 83.4% | 84.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 81.9% | 80.7% | 83.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 79.3% | 78.3% | 80.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 77.5% | 77.1% | 78.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Africa Western and Central
- 1 Qatar 95.6% compare
- 2 United Arab Emirates 91.5% compare
- 3 Kuwait 88.6% compare
- 4 Oman 88.1% compare
- 5 Madagascar 88.1% compare
- 6 Cambodia 87.8% compare
- 7 Tanzania, United Republic of 87.3% 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)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 87.9% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 67.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) 54.5% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 78.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) 52.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 68.5% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 73.3% (2025)
- Employment in industry, female (% of female employment) 14.7% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) in Africa Western and Central?
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) in Africa Western and Central was 77.3% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) recorded in Africa Western and Central?
- The highest recorded value was 84.1% in 1994.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) recorded in Africa Western and Central?
- The lowest recorded value was 77.1% in 2020.
- How does Africa Western and Central rank for labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+)?
- Africa Western and Central ranks 4th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) rising or falling in Africa Western and Central?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.1%. 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, male (% of male population ages 15+) (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 is the proportion of the population ages 15 and older that is economically active: all people who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period.