Labor force participation rate in Tanzania
Tanzania: Labor force participation rate was 83.7% in 2025. ▬ Flat
Latest (2025)
83.7%
Change on year
down 0.0%
World rank
4th
of 186 countries
All-time high
88.3%
in 2006
All-time low
82.8%
in 2020
Years of data
36
1990–2025
Labor force participation rate in Tanzania, 1990–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Tanzania recorded 83.7% for labor force participation rate in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force participation rate in Tanzania peaked at 88.3% in 2006 and was at its lowest, 82.8%, in 2020.
That places Tanzania 4th out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
Labor force participation rate in Tanzania, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 86.7% | — |
| 1991 | 86.7% | -0.0% |
| 1992 | 86.6% | -0.0% |
| 1993 | 86.6% | -0.1% |
| 1994 | 86.5% | -0.1% |
| 1995 | 86.4% | -0.1% |
| 1996 | 86.5% | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 86.5% | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 86.5% | -0.0% |
| 1999 | 86.5% | -0.0% |
| 2000 | 86.4% | -0.0% |
| 2001 | 86.4% | -0.0% |
| 2002 | 86.8% | +0.5% |
| 2003 | 87.2% | +0.5% |
| 2004 | 87.6% | +0.4% |
| 2005 | 88.0% | +0.4% |
| 2006 | 88.3% | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 87.9% | -0.5% |
| 2008 | 87.4% | -0.6% |
| 2009 | 86.8% | -0.6% |
| 2010 | 86.3% | -0.6% |
| 2011 | 85.7% | -0.6% |
| 2012 | 85.2% | -0.7% |
| 2013 | 84.6% | -0.7% |
| 2014 | 84.0% | -0.7% |
| 2015 | 83.9% | -0.0% |
| 2016 | 83.9% | -0.0% |
| 2017 | 83.9% | -0.0% |
| 2018 | 83.8% | -0.0% |
| 2019 | 83.8% | -0.0% |
| 2020 | 82.8% | -1.2% |
| 2021 | 83.7% | +1.1% |
| 2022 | 83.8% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 83.8% | -0.0% |
| 2024 | 83.7% | -0.0% |
| 2025 | 83.7% | -0.0% |
Tanzania compared with similar countries
- Tanzania's 83.7% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 57.7%, 1.5× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Tanzania's 83.7% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 64.3%, 1.3× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 86.5% | 86.4% | 86.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 87.3% | 86.4% | 88.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 84.5% | 83.8% | 86.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 83.6% | 82.8% | 83.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Tanzania
- 1 Qatar 87.0% compare
- 2 Madagascar 85.5% compare
- 3 Solomon Islands 84.3% compare
- 5 Nigeria 82.5% compare
- 6 Cambodia 82.4% compare
- 7 North Korea 82.2% compare
More work & labour data for Tanzania
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 7,078 (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 83.66 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 36,231 (2027)
- Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) 1.52 (2027)
- Labour dependency ratio 1.09 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP 8,562 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2015 US $ 2,584 (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 82.38 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 3.35 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate 3.13 % change on previous year (2027)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force participation rate in Tanzania?
- Labor force participation rate in Tanzania was 83.7% 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 Tanzania?
- The highest recorded value was 88.3% in 2006.
- What is the lowest labor force participation rate recorded in Tanzania?
- The lowest recorded value was 82.8% in 2020.
- How does Tanzania rank for labor force participation rate?
- Tanzania ranks 4th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force participation rate rising or falling in Tanzania?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Tanzania 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
Share of the working-age population (ages 15 and over) who are economically active (employed or unemployed).