Labor force participation rate in Nigeria
Nigeria: Labor force participation rate was 82.52 in 2025. ▬ Flat
Latest (2025)
82.52
Change on year
down 0.1%
World rank
5th
of 186 countries
All-time high
84.09
in 1995
All-time low
79.31
in 2020
Years of data
36
1990–2025
Labor force participation rate in Nigeria, 1990–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
Nigeria recorded 82.52 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 84.09 in 1995 and was at its lowest, 79.31, in 2020.
Nigeria ranks 5th of 186 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
Labor force participation rate in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 81.79 | — |
| 1991 | 82.39 | +0.7% |
| 1992 | 83.02 | +0.8% |
| 1993 | 83.42 | +0.5% |
| 1994 | 83.96 | +0.7% |
| 1995 | 84.09 | +0.2% |
| 1996 | 83.89 | -0.2% |
| 1997 | 83.8 | -0.1% |
| 1998 | 83.67 | -0.2% |
| 1999 | 83.6 | -0.1% |
| 2000 | 83.37 | -0.3% |
| 2001 | 83.18 | -0.2% |
| 2002 | 82.94 | -0.3% |
| 2003 | 82.67 | -0.3% |
| 2004 | 82.44 | -0.3% |
| 2005 | 82.17 | -0.3% |
| 2006 | 81.96 | -0.3% |
| 2007 | 81.8 | -0.2% |
| 2008 | 81.61 | -0.2% |
| 2009 | 81.52 | -0.1% |
| 2010 | 81.28 | -0.3% |
| 2011 | 81.12 | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 81.06 | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 80.84 | -0.3% |
| 2014 | 80.77 | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 80.79 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 80.84 | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 80.89 | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 80.95 | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 81 | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 79.31 | -2.1% |
| 2021 | 80.14 | +1.0% |
| 2022 | 81.27 | +1.4% |
| 2023 | 82.56 | +1.6% |
| 2024 | 82.57 | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 82.52 | -0.1% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 82.52 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 57.67, 1.4× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 82.52 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 64.31, 1.3× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 83.36 | 81.79 | 84.09 | 10 |
| 2000s | 82.37 | 81.52 | 83.37 | 10 |
| 2010s | 80.95 | 80.77 | 81.28 | 10 |
| 2020s | 81.39 | 79.31 | 82.57 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
- 2 Madagascar 85.5 compare
- 3 Solomon Islands 84.3 compare
- 4 Tanzania 83.72 compare
- 6 Cambodia 82.39 compare
- 7 North Korea 82.15 compare
- 8 Uganda 80.03 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 in Nigeria?
- Labor force participation rate in Nigeria was 82.52 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest labor force participation rate recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 84.09 in 1995.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 79.31 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 Our World in Data, published as part of Labor force participation rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).