LU4: Composite rate of labour underutilization in Eastern Africa

Eastern Africa: LU4: Composite rate of labour underutilization was 22.13 in 2027. ▲ Rising

Latest (2027)
22.13
Change on year
down 0.1%
Rank
14th
of 87 groups
All-time high
23.7
in 2020
All-time low
18.22
in 2005
Years of data
23
2005–2027

LU4: Composite rate of labour underutilization in Eastern Africa, 2005–2027

05101520252005201620272005: 18.22006: 18.42007: 18.72008: 19.12009: 19.72010: 20.52011: 20.52012: 20.72013: 20.72014: 212015: 21.22016: 21.52017: 222018: 222019: 22.12020: 23.72021: 232022: 22.42023: 22.22024: 22.32025: 22.22026: 22.22027: 22.1

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

In 2027, lu4: composite rate of labour underutilization in Eastern Africa stood at 22.13.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.1% on the previous year and up 0.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, lu4: composite rate of labour underutilization in Eastern Africa peaked at 23.7 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 18.22, in 2005.

Eastern Africa ranks 14th of 87 groups on this measure, in the top quarter.

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

LU4: Composite rate of labour underutilization in Eastern Africa, year by year

Annual values for LU4: Composite rate of labour underutilization (ILO modelled estimates) in Eastern Africa, 2005 to 2027.
Year Value Change
2005 18.22
2006 18.41 +1.0%
2007 18.72 +1.7%
2008 19.07 +1.9%
2009 19.74 +3.5%
2010 20.46 +3.7%
2011 20.46 +0.0%
2012 20.71 +1.2%
2013 20.69 -0.1%
2014 20.98 +1.4%
2015 21.24 +1.2%
2016 21.5 +1.2%
2017 21.98 +2.3%
2018 22.02 +0.2%
2019 22.12 +0.5%
2020 23.7 +7.2%
2021 22.96 -3.1%
2022 22.44 -2.2%
2023 22.15 -1.3%
2024 22.25 +0.5%
2025 22.23 -0.1%
2026 22.16 -0.3%
2027 22.13 -0.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 18.83 18.22 19.74 5
2010s 21.21 20.46 22.12 10
2020s 22.5 22.13 23.7 8

More work & labour data for Eastern Africa

All data for Eastern Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is lu4: composite rate of labour underutilization in Eastern Africa?
Lu4: composite rate of labour underutilization in Eastern Africa was 22.13 in 2027, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest lu4: composite rate of labour underutilization recorded in Eastern Africa?
The highest recorded value was 23.7 in 2020.
What is the lowest lu4: composite rate of labour underutilization recorded in Eastern Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 18.22 in 2005.
How does Eastern Africa rank for lu4: composite rate of labour underutilization?
Eastern Africa ranks 14th out of 87 groups with data for 2027.
Is lu4: composite rate of labour underutilization rising or falling in Eastern Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 0.7%. 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 LU4: Composite rate of labour underutilization (ILO modelled estimates). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 23 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

LU4: Composite rate of labour underutilization in Eastern Africa. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 08 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/lu4-composite-rate-of-labour-underutilization-ilo-modelled-estimates/eastern-africa/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/lu4-composite-rate-of-labour-underutilization-ilo-modelled-estimates/eastern-africa/">LU4: Composite rate of labour underutilization in Eastern Africa</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
LU4: Composite rate of labour underutilization (ILO modelled estimates)
Source
International Labour Organization
Licence
ILO Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
87 places, 2,001 data points, 2005–2027
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. 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 ILO Modelled Estimates (ILOEST) database description.