Labour force participation rate for persons ages 25 to 54 in Sub-Saharan Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa: Labour force participation rate for persons ages 25 to 54 was 82.87 in 2023. ▬ Flat

Latest (2023)
82.87
Change on year
up 0.2%
Rank
31st
of 93 groups
All-time high
83.48
in 2005
All-time low
81.43
in 2020
Years of data
20
2004–2023

Labour force participation rate for persons ages 25 to 54 in Sub-Saharan Africa, 2004–2023

0204060802004201320232004: 83.42005: 83.52006: 83.42007: 83.32008: 83.22009: 82.92010: 82.52011: 82.52012: 82.42013: 82.42014: 82.32015: 82.32016: 82.32017: 82.32018: 82.42019: 82.52020: 81.42021: 81.92022: 82.72023: 82.9

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

In 2023, labour force participation rate for persons ages 25 to 54 in Sub-Saharan Africa stood at 82.87.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 0.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, labour force participation rate for persons ages 25 to 54 in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 83.48 in 2005 and was at its lowest, 81.43, in 2020.

That places Sub-Saharan Africa 31st out of 93 groups with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.

Labour force participation rate for persons ages 25 to 54 in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year

Annual values for Labour force participation rate for persons ages 25 to 54 (ILO modelled estimates) in Sub-Saharan Africa, 2004 to 2023.
Year Value Change
2004 83.41
2005 83.48 +0.1%
2006 83.39 -0.1%
2007 83.29 -0.1%
2008 83.17 -0.2%
2009 82.94 -0.3%
2010 82.53 -0.5%
2011 82.5 -0.0%
2012 82.43 -0.1%
2013 82.41 -0.0%
2014 82.26 -0.2%
2015 82.31 +0.1%
2016 82.33 +0.0%
2017 82.31 -0.0%
2018 82.38 +0.1%
2019 82.46 +0.1%
2020 81.43 -1.2%
2021 81.93 +0.6%
2022 82.7 +0.9%
2023 82.87 +0.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 83.28 82.94 83.48 6
2010s 82.39 82.26 82.53 10
2020s 82.23 81.43 82.87 4

More work & labour data for Sub-Saharan Africa

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Frequently asked questions

What is labour force participation rate for persons ages 25 to 54 in Sub-Saharan Africa?
Labour force participation rate for persons ages 25 to 54 in Sub-Saharan Africa was 82.87 in 2023, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest labour force participation rate for persons ages 25 to 54 recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
The highest recorded value was 83.48 in 2005.
What is the lowest labour force participation rate for persons ages 25 to 54 recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 81.43 in 2020.
How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for labour force participation rate for persons ages 25 to 54?
Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 31st out of 93 groups with data for 2023.
Is labour force participation rate for persons ages 25 to 54 rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 0.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa data come from?
The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Labour force participation rate for persons ages 25 to 54 (ILO modelled estimates). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Labour force participation rate for persons ages 25 to 54 in Sub-Saharan Africa. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 10 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/labour-force-participation-rate-for-persons-ages-25-to-54-ilo-modelled-estimates/sub-saharan-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Labour force participation rate for persons ages 25 to 54 (ILO modelled estimates)
Source
International Labour Organization
Licence
ILO Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
93 places, 1,860 data points, 2004–2023
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 prime-age labour force participation rate is the labour force of persons aged 25 to 54 years divided by the population aged 25 to 54 years. 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.