Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) was 70.23 in 2027. ▼ Falling
Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1990–2027
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
In 2027, labour force participation rate (ilo modelled estimates) in Sub-Saharan Africa stood at 70.23.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labour force participation rate (ilo modelled estimates) in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 74.61 in 1995 and was at its lowest, 69.03, in 2020.
Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 4th of 85 groups on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 38 years of available data.
Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 74.03 | — |
| 1991 | 74.16 | +0.2% |
| 1992 | 74.32 | +0.2% |
| 1993 | 74.38 | +0.1% |
| 1994 | 74.52 | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 74.61 | +0.1% |
| 1996 | 74.56 | -0.1% |
| 1997 | 74.52 | -0.1% |
| 1998 | 74.45 | -0.1% |
| 1999 | 74.4 | -0.1% |
| 2000 | 74.33 | -0.1% |
| 2001 | 74.26 | -0.1% |
| 2002 | 74.21 | -0.1% |
| 2003 | 74.15 | -0.1% |
| 2004 | 74.08 | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 74.01 | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 73.86 | -0.2% |
| 2007 | 73.68 | -0.2% |
| 2008 | 73.45 | -0.3% |
| 2009 | 73.09 | -0.5% |
| 2010 | 72.72 | -0.5% |
| 2011 | 72.75 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 72.2 | -0.7% |
| 2013 | 72.54 | +0.5% |
| 2014 | 71.91 | -0.9% |
| 2015 | 71.62 | -0.4% |
| 2016 | 71.34 | -0.4% |
| 2017 | 70.82 | -0.7% |
| 2018 | 70.51 | -0.4% |
| 2019 | 70.21 | -0.4% |
| 2020 | 69.03 | -1.7% |
| 2021 | 69.33 | +0.4% |
| 2022 | 69.88 | +0.8% |
| 2023 | 70.32 | +0.6% |
| 2024 | 70.33 | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 70.29 | -0.1% |
| 2026 | 70.26 | -0.0% |
| 2027 | 70.23 | -0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 74.39 | 74.03 | 74.61 | 10 |
| 2000s | 73.91 | 73.09 | 74.33 | 10 |
| 2010s | 71.66 | 70.21 | 72.75 | 10 |
| 2020s | 69.96 | 69.03 | 70.33 | 8 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
- 1 Qatar 86.66 compare
- 2 Madagascar 85.55 compare
- 3 Solomon Islands 84.31 compare
- 4 Tanzania 83.66 compare
- 5 Nigeria 82.43 compare
- 6 Cambodia 82.41 compare
- 7 North Korea 82.13 compare
More work & labour data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 564,978 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 239,462 (2027)
- Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) 5.73 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate 2.92 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour dependency ratio 1.5 (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 66.21 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 3.04 % change on previous year (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2015 US $ 4,279 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP 11,723 (2027)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 66.7% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labour force participation rate (ilo modelled estimates) in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Labour force participation rate (ilo modelled estimates) in Sub-Saharan Africa was 70.23 in 2027, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest labour force participation rate (ilo modelled estimates) recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 74.61 in 1995.
- What is the lowest labour force participation rate (ilo modelled estimates) recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 69.03 in 2020.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for labour force participation rate (ilo modelled estimates)?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 4th out of 85 groups with data for 2027.
- Is labour force participation rate (ilo modelled estimates) rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) (15+). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 38 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. The labour force participation rate is the labour force as a percent of the working-age population. 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.