Labour force participation rate (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Labour force participation rate (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) was 70.23 in 2027. ▼ Falling
Labour force participation rate (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) in Sub-Saharan Africa, 2000–2027
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
The most recent figure for labour force participation rate (previous ilo definition - icls13) in Sub-Saharan Africa is 70.23, measured in 2027.
That represents a change of down 0.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labour force participation rate (previous ilo definition - icls13) in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 74.33 in 2000 and was at its lowest, 69.03, in 2020.
That places Sub-Saharan Africa 4th out of 85 groups with data for 2027, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 28 years of available data.
Labour force participation rate (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 74.33 | — |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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 Falkland Islands, Malvinas 90.36 compare
- 2 Qatar 87.95 compare
- 3 Tanzania, United Republic of 85.29 compare
- 4 Isle of Man 84.18 compare
- 5 Bermuda 84 compare
- 6 Faroe Islands 82.9 compare
- 7 Cayman Islands 82.8 compare
More work & labour data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 564,978 (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 70.23 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 239,462 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 3.04 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate 2.92 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 75.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 71.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 70.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 76.5% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 86.9% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labour force participation rate (previous ilo definition - icls13) in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Labour force participation rate (previous ilo definition - icls13) in Sub-Saharan Africa was 70.23 in 2027, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest labour force participation rate (previous ilo definition - icls13) recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 74.33 in 2000.
- What is the lowest labour force participation rate (previous ilo definition - icls13) 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 (previous ilo definition - icls13)?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 4th out of 85 groups with data for 2027.
- Is labour force participation rate (previous ilo definition - icls13) 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 (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) (15+). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
With the aim of promoting international comparability, statistics presented on ILOSTAT are based on standard international definitions wherever feasible and may differ from official national figures. This series is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. For time series comparability, it includes countries that have implemented the 19th ICLS standards, for which data are also available in the Work Statistics -- 19th ICLS (WORK) database. 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 Labour Force Statistics (LFS and STLFS) database description.