LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Western Africa
Western Africa: LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force was 7.63 in 2027. ▼ Falling
LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Western Africa, 2004–2027
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
Western Africa recorded 7.63 for lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in 2027.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.6% on the previous year and down 19.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Western Africa peaked at 10.66 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 7.52, in 2024.
Western Africa ranks 59th of 87 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.
LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Western Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 9.37 | — |
| 2005 | 9.38 | +0.1% |
| 2006 | 9.21 | -1.8% |
| 2007 | 9.19 | -0.2% |
| 2008 | 9.14 | -0.6% |
| 2009 | 9.1 | -0.4% |
| 2010 | 8.99 | -1.2% |
| 2011 | 8.92 | -0.8% |
| 2012 | 8.89 | -0.3% |
| 2013 | 8.49 | -4.5% |
| 2014 | 8.9 | +4.8% |
| 2015 | 9.47 | +6.4% |
| 2016 | 9.66 | +2.0% |
| 2017 | 9.42 | -2.4% |
| 2018 | 9.53 | +1.1% |
| 2019 | 9.54 | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 10.66 | +11.7% |
| 2021 | 10.02 | -6.0% |
| 2022 | 8.62 | -13.9% |
| 2023 | 7.58 | -12.2% |
| 2024 | 7.52 | -0.7% |
| 2025 | 7.55 | +0.4% |
| 2026 | 7.59 | +0.5% |
| 2027 | 7.63 | +0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 9.23 | 9.1 | 9.38 | 6 |
| 2010s | 9.18 | 8.49 | 9.66 | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.4 | 7.52 | 10.66 | 8 |
More work & labour data for Western Africa
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 532,234 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.2192 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.1926 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.245 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate 0.6577 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 2.78 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 516,634 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 1.07 million 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 537,547 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 293,084 1000 No (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Western Africa?
- Lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Western Africa was 7.63 in 2027, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force recorded in Western Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 10.66 in 2020.
- What is the lowest lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force recorded in Western Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.52 in 2024.
- How does Western Africa rank for lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force?
- Western Africa ranks 59th out of 87 groups with data for 2027.
- Is lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force rising or falling in Western Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 19.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Western 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 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. 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.