Potential labour force in Africa: Low income

Africa: Low income: Potential labour force was 14,808 in 2027. ▲ Rising

Latest (2027)
14,808
Change on year
up 2.7%
Rank
27th
of 87 groups
All-time high
14,808
in 2027
All-time low
8,298
in 2004
Years of data
24
2004–2027

Potential labour force in Africa: Low income, 2004–2027

05.0k10.0k15.0k2004201520272004: 8.3k2005: 8.4k2006: 8.6k2007: 8.9k2008: 9.2k2009: 9.4k2010: 9.8k2011: 10.0k2012: 10.3k2013: 10.2k2014: 10.6k2015: 11.0k2016: 11.5k2017: 11.9k2018: 12.0k2019: 12.1k2020: 13.8k2021: 12.7k2022: 12.3k2023: 12.9k2024: 13.6k2025: 14.0k2026: 14.4k2027: 14.8k

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

In 2027, potential labour force in Africa: Low income stood at 14,808. That is the highest value across all 24 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.7% on the previous year and up 24.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, potential labour force in Africa: Low income peaked at 14,808 in 2027 and was at its lowest, 8,298, in 2004.

Africa: Low income ranks 27th of 87 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.

Potential labour force in Africa: Low income, year by year

Annual values for Potential labour force (ILO modelled estimates) in Africa: Low income, 2004 to 2027.
Year Value Change
2004 8,298
2005 8,357 +0.7%
2006 8,606 +3.0%
2007 8,880 +3.2%
2008 9,163 +3.2%
2009 9,417 +2.8%
2010 9,831 +4.4%
2011 9,974 +1.5%
2012 10,335 +3.6%
2013 10,172 -1.6%
2014 10,642 +4.6%
2015 11,028 +3.6%
2016 11,519 +4.5%
2017 11,943 +3.7%
2018 11,958 +0.1%
2019 12,117 +1.3%
2020 13,834 +14.2%
2021 12,728 -8.0%
2022 12,330 -3.1%
2023 12,889 +4.5%
2024 13,619 +5.7%
2025 14,041 +3.1%
2026 14,414 +2.7%
2027 14,808 +2.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 8,787 8,298 9,417 6
2010s 10,952 9,831 12,117 10
2020s 13,583 12,330 14,808 8

More work & labour data for Africa: Low income

All data for Africa: Low income →

Frequently asked questions

What is potential labour force in Africa: Low income?
Potential labour force in Africa: Low income was 14,808 in 2027, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest potential labour force recorded in Africa: Low income?
The highest recorded value was 14,808 in 2027.
What is the lowest potential labour force recorded in Africa: Low income?
The lowest recorded value was 8,298 in 2004.
How does Africa: Low income rank for potential labour force?
Africa: Low income ranks 27th out of 87 groups with data for 2027.
Is potential labour force rising or falling in Africa: Low income?
Over the last ten years it is up 24.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Africa: Low income data come from?
The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Potential labour force (ILO modelled estimates). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Potential labour force in Africa: Low income. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 24 August 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/potential-labour-force-ilo-modelled-estimates/africa-low-income/

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About this data

Indicator
Potential labour force (ILO modelled estimates)
Source
International Labour Organization
Licence
ILO Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
87 places, 2,088 data points, 2004–2027
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. The potential labour force refers to persons not in employment who express an interest in this form of work but for whom existing conditions limit their active job search and/or their availability. This group is used to calculate alternative measures of labour underutilization. For more information, refer to the ILO Modelled Estimates (ILOEST) database description.