Potential labour force in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Potential labour force was 36,921 in 2027. ▲ Rising
Potential labour force in Sub-Saharan Africa, 2004–2027
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
In 2027, potential labour force in Sub-Saharan Africa stood at 36,921. That is the highest value across all 24 years on record.
The figure is up 2.9% on the previous year and up 34.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, potential labour force in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 36,921 in 2027 and was at its lowest, 18,614, in 2004.
That places Sub-Saharan Africa 13th out of 87 groups with data for 2027, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.
Potential labour force in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 18,614 | — |
| 2005 | 18,788 | +0.9% |
| 2006 | 19,077 | +1.5% |
| 2007 | 19,467 | +2.0% |
| 2008 | 19,951 | +2.5% |
| 2009 | 21,073 | +5.6% |
| 2010 | 22,197 | +5.3% |
| 2011 | 22,497 | +1.3% |
| 2012 | 22,997 | +2.2% |
| 2013 | 22,957 | -0.2% |
| 2014 | 23,969 | +4.4% |
| 2015 | 25,265 | +5.4% |
| 2016 | 26,796 | +6.1% |
| 2017 | 27,456 | +2.5% |
| 2018 | 28,933 | +5.4% |
| 2019 | 30,290 | +4.7% |
| 2020 | 34,970 | +15.5% |
| 2021 | 32,728 | -6.4% |
| 2022 | 33,348 | +1.9% |
| 2023 | 32,166 | -3.5% |
| 2024 | 33,513 | +4.2% |
| 2025 | 34,882 | +4.1% |
| 2026 | 35,879 | +2.9% |
| 2027 | 36,921 | +2.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 19,495 | 18,614 | 21,073 | 6 |
| 2010s | 25,336 | 22,197 | 30,290 | 10 |
| 2020s | 34,301 | 32,166 | 36,921 | 8 |
More work & labour data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 564,978 (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 70.23 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 239,462 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 3.04 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate 2.92 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 75.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 71.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 70.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 76.5% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 86.9% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is potential labour force in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Potential labour force in Sub-Saharan Africa was 36,921 in 2027, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest potential labour force recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 36,921 in 2027.
- What is the lowest potential labour force recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 18,614 in 2004.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for potential labour force?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 13th out of 87 groups with data for 2027.
- Is potential labour force rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 34.5%. 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 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.