Potential labour force in MENA
MENA: Potential labour force was 19,452 in 2027. ▲ Rising
Potential labour force in MENA, 2004–2027
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
MENA recorded 19,452 for potential labour force in 2027. That is the highest value across all 24 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.6% on the previous year and up 5.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, potential labour force in MENA peaked at 19,452 in 2027 and was at its lowest, 13,497, in 2004.
MENA ranks 19th of 87 groups on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.
Potential labour force in MENA, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 13,497 | — |
| 2005 | 13,768 | +2.0% |
| 2006 | 13,630 | -1.0% |
| 2007 | 13,944 | +2.3% |
| 2008 | 14,014 | +0.5% |
| 2009 | 14,296 | +2.0% |
| 2010 | 14,881 | +4.1% |
| 2011 | 15,638 | +5.1% |
| 2012 | 16,315 | +4.3% |
| 2013 | 16,395 | +0.5% |
| 2014 | 16,871 | +2.9% |
| 2015 | 17,770 | +5.3% |
| 2016 | 17,953 | +1.0% |
| 2017 | 18,362 | +2.3% |
| 2018 | 18,148 | -1.2% |
| 2019 | 18,012 | -0.7% |
| 2020 | 19,437 | +7.9% |
| 2021 | 18,951 | -2.5% |
| 2022 | 18,345 | -3.2% |
| 2023 | 17,904 | -2.4% |
| 2024 | 18,469 | +3.2% |
| 2025 | 18,812 | +1.9% |
| 2026 | 19,152 | +1.8% |
| 2027 | 19,452 | +1.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 13,858 | 13,497 | 14,296 | 6 |
| 2010s | 17,035 | 14,881 | 18,362 | 10 |
| 2020s | 18,815 | 17,904 | 19,452 | 8 |
More work & labour data for MENA
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 185,145 (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 44.52 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 230,676 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate 1.83 % change on previous year (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 2.46 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) 44.52 (2027)
- NEET: Youth not in employment, education or training 30,521 (2027)
- NEET rate: Share of youth not in employment, education or training 30.58 (2027)
- Female labor force by age 499,704 (2024)
- Labor force participation rate by age 25.79 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is potential labour force in MENA?
- Potential labour force in MENA was 19,452 in 2027, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest potential labour force recorded in MENA?
- The highest recorded value was 19,452 in 2027.
- What is the lowest potential labour force recorded in MENA?
- The lowest recorded value was 13,497 in 2004.
- How does MENA rank for potential labour force?
- MENA ranks 19th out of 87 groups with data for 2027.
- Is potential labour force rising or falling in MENA?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this MENA 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 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. 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.