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

Sub-Saharan Africa: Upper-middle income: LU4: Composite measure of labour underutilization was 15,959 in 2027. ▲ Rising

Latest (2027)
15,959
Change on year
up 1.6%
Rank
53rd
of 87 groups
All-time high
15,959
in 2027
All-time low
7,719
in 2005
Years of data
23
2005–2027

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

05.0k10.0k15.0k2005201620272005: 7.7k2006: 7.7k2007: 7.8k2008: 8.0k2009: 8.7k2010: 9.3k2011: 9.5k2012: 9.8k2013: 10.0k2014: 10.2k2015: 10.5k2016: 11.0k2017: 11.3k2018: 11.7k2019: 12.4k2020: 13.4k2021: 14.7k2022: 14.6k2023: 14.3k2024: 14.8k2025: 15.4k2026: 15.7k2027: 16.0k

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

The most recent figure for lu4: composite measure of labour underutilization in Sub-Saharan Africa: Upper-middle income is 15,959, measured in 2027. That is the highest value across all 23 years on record.

The figure is up 1.6% on the previous year and up 41.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, lu4: composite measure of labour underutilization in Sub-Saharan Africa: Upper-middle income peaked at 15,959 in 2027 and was at its lowest, 7,719, in 2005.

That places Sub-Saharan Africa: Upper-middle income 53rd 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 23 years of available data.

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

Annual values for LU4: Composite measure of labour underutilization in Sub-Saharan Africa: Upper-middle income, 2005 to 2027.
Year Value Change
2005 7,719 —
2006 7,747 +0.4%
2007 7,825 +1.0%
2008 7,978 +2.0%
2009 8,664 +8.6%
2010 9,312 +7.5%
2011 9,501 +2.0%
2012 9,780 +2.9%
2013 9,993 +2.2%
2014 10,165 +1.7%
2015 10,493 +3.2%
2016 10,986 +4.7%
2017 11,250 +2.4%
2018 11,726 +4.2%
2019 12,415 +5.9%
2020 13,429 +8.2%
2021 14,692 +9.4%
2022 14,621 -0.5%
2023 14,299 -2.2%
2024 14,800 +3.5%
2025 15,447 +4.4%
2026 15,704 +1.7%
2027 15,959 +1.6%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 7,987 7,719 8,664 5
2010s 10,562 9,312 12,415 10
2020s 14,869 13,429 15,959 8

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

  1. 50 Panama 293.6 compare
  2. 51 Belarus 237.72 compare
  3. 52 El Salvador 222.44 compare
  4. 53 Bosnia and Herzegovina 220.13 compare
  5. 54 Paraguay 219.31 compare
  6. 55 Slovakia 204.5 compare
  7. 56 Czechia 204.04 compare

See the full ranking of 166 places →

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

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

Frequently asked questions

What is lu4: composite measure of labour underutilization in Sub-Saharan Africa: Upper-middle income?
Lu4: composite measure of labour underutilization in Sub-Saharan Africa: Upper-middle income was 15,959 in 2027, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest lu4: composite measure of labour underutilization recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa: Upper-middle income?
The highest recorded value was 15,959 in 2027.
What is the lowest lu4: composite measure of labour underutilization recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa: Upper-middle income?
The lowest recorded value was 7,719 in 2005.
How does Sub-Saharan Africa: Upper-middle income rank for lu4: composite measure of labour underutilization?
Sub-Saharan Africa: Upper-middle income ranks 53rd out of 87 groups with data for 2027.
Is lu4: composite measure of labour underutilization rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa: Upper-middle income?
Over the last ten years it is up 41.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa: Upper-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: Upper-middle income. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 11 October 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/lu4-composite-measure-of-labour-underutilization/sub-saharan-africa-upper-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.