LU4: Composite measure of labour underutilization in Sub-Saharan Africa: Lower-middle income

Sub-Saharan Africa: Lower-middle income: LU4: Composite measure of labour underutilization was 56,952 in 2027. ▲ Rising

Latest (2027)
56,952
Change on year
up 3.1%
Rank
24th
of 87 groups
All-time high
56,952
in 2027
All-time low
30,677
in 2005
Years of data
23
2005–2027

LU4: Composite measure of labour underutilization in Sub-Saharan Africa: Lower-middle income, 2005–2027

020.0k40.0k60.0k2005201620272005: 30.7k2006: 31.1k2007: 31.8k2008: 32.7k2009: 34.0k2010: 35.4k2011: 36.5k2012: 37.0k2013: 37.4k2014: 38.8k2015: 41.1k2016: 43.1k2017: 44.4k2018: 46.5k2019: 48.4k2020: 53.1k2021: 52.8k2022: 51.9k2023: 50.3k2024: 52.0k2025: 53.6k2026: 55.2k2027: 57.0k

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

Sub-Saharan Africa: Lower-middle income recorded 56,952 for lu4: composite measure of labour underutilization in 2027. That is the highest value across all 23 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.1% on the previous year and up 28.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, lu4: composite measure of labour underutilization in Sub-Saharan Africa: Lower-middle income peaked at 56,952 in 2027 and was at its lowest, 30,677, in 2005.

Sub-Saharan Africa: Lower-middle income ranks 24th of 87 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 23 years of available data.

LU4: Composite measure of labour underutilization in Sub-Saharan Africa: Lower-middle income, year by year

Annual values for LU4: Composite measure of labour underutilization in Sub-Saharan Africa: Lower-middle income, 2005 to 2027.
Year Value Change
2005 30,677
2006 31,067 +1.3%
2007 31,828 +2.4%
2008 32,719 +2.8%
2009 34,004 +3.9%
2010 35,440 +4.2%
2011 36,466 +2.9%
2012 36,997 +1.5%
2013 37,364 +1.0%
2014 38,807 +3.9%
2015 41,149 +6.0%
2016 43,056 +4.6%
2017 44,436 +3.2%
2018 46,521 +4.7%
2019 48,419 +4.1%
2020 53,143 +9.8%
2021 52,770 -0.7%
2022 51,875 -1.7%
2023 50,256 -3.1%
2024 51,952 +3.4%
2025 53,562 +3.1%
2026 55,235 +3.1%
2027 56,952 +3.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 32,059 30,677 34,004 5
2010s 40,866 35,440 48,419 10
2020s 53,218 50,256 56,952 8

Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa: Lower-middle income

  1. 21 Afghanistan 1,688 compare
  2. 22 Zimbabwe 1,657 compare
  3. 23 Zambia 1,601 compare
  4. 24 Netherlands 1,251 compare
  5. 25 Sweden 1,073 compare
  6. 26 Poland 957.3 compare
  7. 27 Romania 749.62 compare

See the full ranking of 166 places →

More work & labour data for Sub-Saharan Africa: Lower-middle income

All data for Sub-Saharan Africa: Lower-middle income →

Frequently asked questions

What is lu4: composite measure of labour underutilization in Sub-Saharan Africa: Lower-middle income?
Lu4: composite measure of labour underutilization in Sub-Saharan Africa: Lower-middle income was 56,952 in 2027, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest lu4: composite measure of labour underutilization recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa: Lower-middle income?
The highest recorded value was 56,952 in 2027.
What is the lowest lu4: composite measure of labour underutilization recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa: Lower-middle income?
The lowest recorded value was 30,677 in 2005.
How does Sub-Saharan Africa: Lower-middle income rank for lu4: composite measure of labour underutilization?
Sub-Saharan Africa: Lower-middle income ranks 24th out of 87 groups with data for 2027.
Is lu4: composite measure of labour underutilization rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa: Lower-middle income?
Over the last ten years it is up 28.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa: Lower-middle income data come from?
The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of LU4: Composite measure of labour underutilization. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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LU4: Composite measure of labour underutilization in Sub-Saharan Africa: Lower-middle income. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 07 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/lu4-composite-measure-of-labour-underutilization/sub-saharan-africa-lower-middle-income/

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About this data

Indicator
LU4: Composite measure of labour underutilization
Source
International Labour Organization
Licence
ILO Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
166 places, 3,284 data points, 1991–2027
Last refreshed

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. LU4 represents the share of the extended labour force that are in unemployment, time-related underemployment or the potential labour force. For more information, refer to the Labour Force Statistics (LFS and STLFS) database description.