Potential labour force in Eastern Africa

Eastern Africa: Potential labour force was 13,590 in 2027. ▲ Rising

Latest (2027)
13,590
Change on year
up 3.0%
Rank
31st
of 87 groups
All-time high
13,590
in 2027
All-time low
6,921
in 2004
Years of data
24
2004–2027

Potential labour force in Eastern Africa, 2004–2027

05.0k10.0k15.0k2004201520272004: 6.9k2005: 6.9k2006: 7.0k2007: 7.2k2008: 7.4k2009: 7.6k2010: 7.9k2011: 7.8k2012: 8.0k2013: 7.9k2014: 8.3k2015: 8.8k2016: 9.2k2017: 10.0k2018: 10.4k2019: 11.1k2020: 12.2k2021: 10.8k2022: 11.6k2023: 11.7k2024: 12.4k2025: 12.8k2026: 13.2k2027: 13.6k

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

The most recent figure for potential labour force in Eastern Africa is 13,590, measured in 2027. That is the highest value across all 24 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.0% on the previous year and up 36.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, potential labour force in Eastern Africa peaked at 13,590 in 2027 and was at its lowest, 6,921, in 2004.

That places Eastern Africa 31st 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 24 years of available data.

Potential labour force in Eastern Africa, year by year

Annual values for Potential labour force (ILO modelled estimates) in Eastern Africa, 2004 to 2027.
Year Value Change
2004 6,921
2005 6,934 +0.2%
2006 7,044 +1.6%
2007 7,175 +1.9%
2008 7,357 +2.5%
2009 7,649 +4.0%
2010 7,932 +3.7%
2011 7,820 -1.4%
2012 8,046 +2.9%
2013 7,882 -2.0%
2014 8,328 +5.7%
2015 8,781 +5.5%
2016 9,249 +5.3%
2017 9,954 +7.6%
2018 10,361 +4.1%
2019 11,081 +7.0%
2020 12,235 +10.4%
2021 10,848 -11.3%
2022 11,637 +7.3%
2023 11,720 +0.7%
2024 12,439 +6.1%
2025 12,826 +3.1%
2026 13,194 +2.9%
2027 13,590 +3.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 7,180 6,921 7,649 6
2010s 8,944 7,820 11,081 10
2020s 12,311 10,848 13,590 8

More work & labour data for Eastern Africa

All data for Eastern Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is potential labour force in Eastern Africa?
Potential labour force in Eastern Africa was 13,590 in 2027, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest potential labour force recorded in Eastern Africa?
The highest recorded value was 13,590 in 2027.
What is the lowest potential labour force recorded in Eastern Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 6,921 in 2004.
How does Eastern Africa rank for potential labour force?
Eastern Africa ranks 31st out of 87 groups with data for 2027.
Is potential labour force rising or falling in Eastern Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 36.5%. 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 Potential labour force (ILO modelled estimates). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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

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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.