Labour dependency ratio in Sub-Saharan Africa: Low income
Sub-Saharan Africa: Low income: Labour dependency ratio was 1.59 in 2027. ▲ Rising
Labour dependency ratio in Sub-Saharan Africa: Low income, 1991–2027
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
The most recent figure for labour dependency ratio in Sub-Saharan Africa: Low income is 1.59, measured in 2027.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.8% on the previous year and down 4.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labour dependency ratio in Sub-Saharan Africa: Low income peaked at 1.71 in 2021 and was at its lowest, 1.55, in 1995.
Sub-Saharan Africa: Low income ranks 21st of 87 groups on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 37 years of available data.
Labour dependency ratio in Sub-Saharan Africa: Low income, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 1.56 | — |
| 1992 | 1.56 | -0.1% |
| 1993 | 1.56 | +0.3% |
| 1994 | 1.56 | -0.1% |
| 1995 | 1.55 | -0.4% |
| 1996 | 1.56 | +0.6% |
| 1997 | 1.57 | +0.8% |
| 1998 | 1.58 | +0.4% |
| 1999 | 1.58 | +0.2% |
| 2000 | 1.58 | +0.1% |
| 2001 | 1.58 | -0.1% |
| 2002 | 1.58 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 1.58 | -0.2% |
| 2004 | 1.58 | -0.3% |
| 2005 | 1.57 | -0.3% |
| 2006 | 1.58 | +0.5% |
| 2007 | 1.59 | +0.5% |
| 2008 | 1.6 | +0.5% |
| 2009 | 1.6 | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 1.61 | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 1.59 | -1.3% |
| 2012 | 1.62 | +2.1% |
| 2013 | 1.58 | -2.7% |
| 2014 | 1.61 | +2.4% |
| 2015 | 1.63 | +1.2% |
| 2016 | 1.65 | +1.2% |
| 2017 | 1.68 | +1.3% |
| 2018 | 1.67 | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 1.68 | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 1.71 | +1.8% |
| 2021 | 1.71 | +0.1% |
| 2022 | 1.66 | -2.8% |
| 2023 | 1.64 | -1.1% |
| 2024 | 1.63 | -0.8% |
| 2025 | 1.62 | -0.7% |
| 2026 | 1.61 | -0.8% |
| 2027 | 1.59 | -0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.57 | 1.55 | 1.58 | 9 |
| 2000s | 1.58 | 1.57 | 1.6 | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.63 | 1.58 | 1.68 | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.65 | 1.59 | 1.71 | 8 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa: Low income
- 18 Gambia 2.69 compare
- 19 Turkmenistan 2.6 compare
- 20 South Africa 2.58 compare
- 21 Lebanon 2.53 compare
- 22 Libya 2.5 compare
- 23 Egypt 2.47 compare
- 24 Iran, Islamic Republic of 2.43 compare
More work & labour data for Sub-Saharan Africa: Low income
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 249,290 (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 69.01 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 111,936 (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 66.18 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP 6,313 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2015 US $ 2,089 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 3.31 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate 3.2 % change on previous year (2027)
- Employment (ILO modelled estimates) 224,417 (2025)
- Employment 224,417 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labour dependency ratio in Sub-Saharan Africa: Low income?
- Labour dependency ratio in Sub-Saharan Africa: Low income was 1.59 in 2027, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest labour dependency ratio recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa: Low income?
- The highest recorded value was 1.71 in 2021.
- What is the lowest labour dependency ratio recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa: Low income?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.55 in 1995.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa: Low income rank for labour dependency ratio?
- Sub-Saharan Africa: Low income ranks 21st out of 87 groups with data for 2027.
- Is labour dependency ratio rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa: Low income?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa: Low income data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Labour dependency ratio (ILO modelled estimates). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 37 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).
About this data
Imputed observations are not based on national data, are subject to high uncertainty and should not be used for country comparisons or rankings. This series is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. This indicator provides the ratio of dependents (persons aged 0 to 14 + persons aged 15 and above that are either outside the labour force or unemployed) to total employment. For more information, refer to the ILO Modelled Estimates (ILOEST) database description.