Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) in Nigeria

Nigeria: Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) was 123,342 in 2027. β–² Rising

Latest (2027)
123,342
Change on year
up 2.8%
World rank
5th
of 188 countries
All-time high
123,342
in 2027
All-time low
43,426
in 1990
Years of data
38
1990–2027

Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) in Nigeria, 1990–2027

025.0k50.0k75.0k100.0k125.0k1990200820271990: 43.4k1991: 45.0k1992: 46.7k1993: 48.4k1994: 50.2k1995: 51.8k1996: 53.2k1997: 54.7k1998: 56.2k1999: 57.8k2000: 59.3k2001: 60.8k2002: 62.2k2003: 63.7k2004: 65.2k2005: 66.7k2006: 68.3k2007: 70.0k2008: 71.7k2009: 73.5k2010: 75.3k2011: 77.2k2012: 79.3k2013: 81.3k2014: 83.5k2015: 85.8k2016: 88.3k2017: 90.9k2018: 93.6k2019: 96.3k2020: 97.0k2021: 100.9k2022: 105.3k2023: 110.1k2024: 113.3k2025: 116.6k2026: 119.9k2027: 123.3k

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

In 2027, labour force (ilo modelled estimates) in Nigeria stood at 123,342. That is the highest value across all 38 years on record.

The figure is up 2.8% on the previous year and up 35.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, labour force (ilo modelled estimates) in Nigeria peaked at 123,342 in 2027 and was at its lowest, 43,426, in 1990.

Nigeria ranks 5th of 188 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 38 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 50,761 43,426 57,821 10
2000s 66,140 59,282 73,499 10
2010s 85,148 75,285 96,336 10
2020s 110,806 97,042 123,342 8

Countries ranked near Nigeria

  1. 2 India 635,848 compare
  2. 3 United States 178,849 compare
  3. 4 Indonesia 150,937 compare
  4. 6 Brazil 109,032 compare
  5. 7 Pakistan 89,226 compare
  6. 8 Bangladesh 76,980 compare

See the full ranking of 276 places β†’

More work & labour data for Nigeria

All data for Nigeria β†’

Frequently asked questions

What is labour force (ilo modelled estimates) in Nigeria?
Labour force (ilo modelled estimates) in Nigeria was 123,342 in 2027, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest labour force (ilo modelled estimates) recorded in Nigeria?
The highest recorded value was 123,342 in 2027.
What is the lowest labour force (ilo modelled estimates) recorded in Nigeria?
The lowest recorded value was 43,426 in 1990.
How does Nigeria rank for labour force (ilo modelled estimates)?
Nigeria ranks 5th out of 188 countries with data for 2027.
Is labour force (ilo modelled estimates) rising or falling in Nigeria?
Over the last ten years it is up 35.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Nigeria data come from?
The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) in Nigeria. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 21 August 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/labour-force-ilo-modelled-estimates-15/nigeria/

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About this data

Indicator
Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+)
Source
International Labour Organization
Licence
ILO Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
276 places, 10,464 data points, 1990–2027
Last refreshed

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. The labour force is the sum of all persons of working age who are employed and those who are unemployed. For more information, refer to the ILO Modelled Estimates (ILOEST) database description.