LU4: Composite rate of labour underutilization in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: LU4: Composite rate of labour underutilization was 20.69 in 2027. ▲ Rising
LU4: Composite rate of labour underutilization in Sub-Saharan Africa, 2005–2027
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
In 2027, lu4: composite rate of labour underutilization in Sub-Saharan Africa stood at 20.69.
That represents a change of down 2.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, lu4: composite rate of labour underutilization in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 23.2 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 18.88, in 2006.
Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 19th 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 Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 18.91 | — |
| 2006 | 18.88 | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 19 | +0.6% |
| 2008 | 19.18 | +0.9% |
| 2009 | 19.67 | +2.6% |
| 2010 | 20.12 | +2.3% |
| 2011 | 20.14 | +0.1% |
| 2012 | 20.25 | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 20.08 | -0.9% |
| 2014 | 20.32 | +1.2% |
| 2015 | 20.71 | +1.9% |
| 2016 | 21.03 | +1.5% |
| 2017 | 21.25 | +1.0% |
| 2018 | 21.36 | +0.5% |
| 2019 | 21.5 | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 23.2 | +7.9% |
| 2021 | 22.49 | -3.1% |
| 2022 | 21.43 | -4.7% |
| 2023 | 20.62 | -3.8% |
| 2024 | 20.65 | +0.1% |
| 2025 | 20.7 | +0.2% |
| 2026 | 20.69 | -0.1% |
| 2027 | 20.69 | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 19.13 | 18.88 | 19.67 | 5 |
| 2010s | 20.68 | 20.08 | 21.5 | 10 |
| 2020s | 21.31 | 20.62 | 23.2 | 8 |
More work & labour data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 70.23 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 564,978 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 239,462 (2027)
- Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) 5.73 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate 2.92 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour dependency ratio 1.5 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP 11,723 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 3.04 % change on previous year (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 66.21 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2015 US $ 4,279 (2027)
Frequently asked questions
- What is lu4: composite rate of labour underutilization in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Lu4: composite rate of labour underutilization in Sub-Saharan Africa was 20.69 in 2027, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest lu4: composite rate of labour underutilization recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 23.2 in 2020.
- What is the lowest lu4: composite rate of labour underutilization recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.88 in 2006.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for lu4: composite rate of labour underutilization?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 19th out of 87 groups with data for 2027.
- Is lu4: composite rate of labour underutilization rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan 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).
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. 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.