Labor participation rate in Ghana
Ghana: Labor participation rate was 58.52 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
58.52
Change on year
down 0.9%
World rank
115th
of 186 countries
All-time high
73.07
in 1990
All-time low
58.52
in 2025
Years of data
36
1990–2025
Labor participation rate in Ghana, 1990–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for labor participation rate in Ghana is 58.52, measured in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 36 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.9% on the previous year and down 15.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor participation rate in Ghana peaked at 73.07 in 1990 and was at its lowest, 58.52, in 2025.
That places Ghana 115th out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.
Labor participation rate in Ghana, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 73.07 | — |
| 1991 | 73.06 | -0.0% |
| 1992 | 72.99 | -0.1% |
| 1993 | 72.93 | -0.1% |
| 1994 | 72.87 | -0.1% |
| 1995 | 72.8 | -0.1% |
| 1996 | 72.74 | -0.1% |
| 1997 | 72.68 | -0.1% |
| 1998 | 72.61 | -0.1% |
| 1999 | 72.55 | -0.1% |
| 2000 | 72.49 | -0.1% |
| 2001 | 72.42 | -0.1% |
| 2002 | 72.36 | -0.1% |
| 2003 | 72.29 | -0.1% |
| 2004 | 72.23 | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 72.17 | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 72.1 | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 72.04 | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 71.97 | -0.1% |
| 2009 | 71.91 | -0.1% |
| 2010 | 71.84 | -0.1% |
| 2011 | 71.78 | -0.1% |
| 2012 | 71.72 | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 71.65 | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 70.47 | -1.7% |
| 2015 | 69.25 | -1.7% |
| 2016 | 68.07 | -1.7% |
| 2017 | 66.86 | -1.8% |
| 2018 | 65.28 | -2.4% |
| 2019 | 63.71 | -2.4% |
| 2020 | 61.62 | -3.3% |
| 2021 | 60.39 | -2.0% |
| 2022 | 59.1 | -2.1% |
| 2023 | 59.07 | -0.1% |
| 2024 | 59.06 | -0.0% |
| 2025 | 58.52 | -0.9% |
Ghana compared with similar countries
- Ghana's 58.52 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 57.67, 1.0× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Ghana's 58.52 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 64.31, 91% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 72.83 | 72.55 | 73.07 | 10 |
| 2000s | 72.2 | 71.91 | 72.49 | 10 |
| 2010s | 69.06 | 63.71 | 71.84 | 10 |
| 2020s | 59.63 | 58.52 | 61.62 | 6 |
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 participation rate in Ghana?
- Labor participation rate in Ghana was 58.52 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest labor participation rate recorded in Ghana?
- The highest recorded value was 73.07 in 1990.
- What is the lowest labor participation rate recorded in Ghana?
- The lowest recorded value was 58.52 in 2025.
- How does Ghana rank for labor participation rate?
- Ghana ranks 115th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor participation rate rising or falling in Ghana?
- Over the last ten years it is down 15.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ghana data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Labor 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).