LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Eastern Africa

Eastern Africa: LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force was 9.71 in 2027. ▲ Rising

Latest (2027)
9.71
Change on year
down 0.2%
Rank
35th
of 87 groups
All-time high
10.69
in 2020
All-time low
8.12
in 2013
Years of data
24
2004–2027

LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Eastern Africa, 2004–2027

02.557.5102004201520272004: 9.52005: 9.22006: 92007: 8.92008: 8.82009: 92010: 9.22011: 8.82012: 8.62013: 8.12014: 8.32015: 8.42016: 8.62017: 9.12018: 9.22019: 9.62020: 10.72021: 102022: 9.92023: 9.72024: 9.82025: 9.82026: 9.72027: 9.7

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

In 2027, lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Eastern Africa stood at 9.71.

That represents a change of down 0.2% on the previous year and up 7.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Eastern Africa peaked at 10.69 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 8.12, in 2013.

That places Eastern Africa 35th out of 87 groups with data for 2027, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.

LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Eastern Africa, year by year

Annual values for LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force (ILO modelled estimates) in Eastern Africa, 2004 to 2027.
Year Value Change
2004 9.48
2005 9.16 -3.4%
2006 9.04 -1.3%
2007 8.91 -1.4%
2008 8.83 -1.0%
2009 9.01 +2.1%
2010 9.22 +2.4%
2011 8.81 -4.4%
2012 8.6 -2.4%
2013 8.12 -5.6%
2014 8.26 +1.7%
2015 8.45 +2.3%
2016 8.64 +2.3%
2017 9.06 +4.8%
2018 9.25 +2.1%
2019 9.61 +3.9%
2020 10.69 +11.2%
2021 9.99 -6.5%
2022 9.93 -0.6%
2023 9.65 -2.8%
2024 9.78 +1.3%
2025 9.78 -0.1%
2026 9.72 -0.5%
2027 9.71 -0.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 9.07 8.83 9.48 6
2010s 8.8 8.12 9.61 10
2020s 9.91 9.65 10.69 8

More work & labour data for Eastern Africa

All data for Eastern Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Eastern Africa?
Lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Eastern Africa was 9.71 in 2027, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force recorded in Eastern Africa?
The highest recorded value was 10.69 in 2020.
What is the lowest lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force recorded in Eastern Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 8.12 in 2013.
How does Eastern Africa rank for lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force?
Eastern Africa ranks 35th out of 87 groups with data for 2027.
Is lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force rising or falling in Eastern Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 7.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Eastern Africa data come from?
The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force (ILO modelled estimates). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Eastern Africa. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 17 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/lu3-combined-rate-of-unemployment-and-potential-labour-force-ilo-modelled-estimates/eastern-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force (ILO modelled estimates)
Source
International Labour Organization
Licence
ILO Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
87 places, 2,088 data points, 2004–2027
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. LU3 represents the share of the extended labour force that are in unemployment or the potential labour force. For more information, refer to the ILO Modelled Estimates (ILOEST) database description.