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Labor force participation rate in Nigeria

Nigeria: Labor force participation rate was 82.5% in 2025. ▬ Flat

Latest (2025)
82.5%
Change on year
down 0.1%
World rank
5th
of 186 countries
All-time high
84.1%
in 1995
All-time low
79.3%
in 2020
Years of data
36
1990–2025

Labor force participation rate in Nigeria, 1990–2025

0204060801990200720251990: 81.8 %1991: 82.4 %1992: 83 %1993: 83.4 %1994: 84 %1995: 84.1 %1996: 83.9 %1997: 83.8 %1998: 83.7 %1999: 83.6 %2000: 83.4 %2001: 83.2 %2002: 82.9 %2003: 82.7 %2004: 82.4 %2005: 82.2 %2006: 82 %2007: 81.8 %2008: 81.6 %2009: 81.5 %2010: 81.3 %2011: 81.1 %2012: 81.1 %2013: 80.8 %2014: 80.8 %2015: 80.8 %2016: 80.8 %2017: 80.9 %2018: 81 %2019: 81 %2020: 79.3 %2021: 80.1 %2022: 81.3 %2023: 82.6 %2024: 82.6 %2025: 82.5 %

Source: ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

Nigeria recorded 82.5% for labor force participation rate in 2025.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.1% on the previous year and up 2.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, labor force participation rate in Nigeria peaked at 84.1% in 1995 and was at its lowest, 79.3%, in 2020.

Nigeria ranks 5th of 186 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 83.4% 81.8% 84.1% 10
2000s 82.4% 81.5% 83.4% 10
2010s 81.0% 80.8% 81.3% 10
2020s 81.4% 79.3% 82.6% 6

Countries ranked near Nigeria

  1. 2 Madagascar 85.5% compare
  2. 3 Solomon Islands 84.3% compare
  3. 4 Tanzania 83.7% compare
  4. 6 Cambodia 82.4% compare
  5. 7 North Korea 82.2% compare
  6. 8 Uganda 80.0% compare

See the full ranking of 186 places →

More work & labour data for Nigeria

All data for Nigeria →

Frequently asked questions

What is labor force participation rate in Nigeria?
Labor force participation rate in Nigeria was 82.5% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest labor force participation rate recorded in Nigeria?
The highest recorded value was 84.1% in 1995.
What is the lowest labor force participation rate recorded in Nigeria?
The lowest recorded value was 79.3% in 2020.
How does Nigeria rank for labor force participation rate?
Nigeria ranks 5th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
Is labor force participation rate rising or falling in Nigeria?
Over the last ten years it is up 2.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Nigeria data come from?
The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Labor force participation rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Labor force participation rate
Unit
%
Source
ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
186 places, 6,682 data points, 1990–2025
Last refreshed

Share of the working-age population (ages 15 and over) who are economically active (employed or unemployed).