Potential labour force in Western Africa
Western Africa: Potential labour force was 10,880 in 2027. ▲ Rising
Potential labour force in Western Africa, 2004–2027
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
The most recent figure for potential labour force in Western Africa is 10,880, measured in 2027.
That represents a change of up 3.1% on the previous year and up 15.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, potential labour force in Western Africa peaked at 11,561 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 6,977, in 2004.
That places Western Africa 35th 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 Western Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 6,977 | — |
| 2005 | 7,090 | +1.6% |
| 2006 | 7,174 | +1.2% |
| 2007 | 7,319 | +2.0% |
| 2008 | 7,448 | +1.8% |
| 2009 | 7,587 | +1.9% |
| 2010 | 7,672 | +1.1% |
| 2011 | 7,790 | +1.5% |
| 2012 | 7,910 | +1.5% |
| 2013 | 7,922 | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 8,469 | +6.9% |
| 2015 | 9,174 | +8.3% |
| 2016 | 9,806 | +6.9% |
| 2017 | 9,397 | -4.2% |
| 2018 | 9,757 | +3.8% |
| 2019 | 9,937 | +1.8% |
| 2020 | 11,561 | +16.4% |
| 2021 | 10,942 | -5.4% |
| 2022 | 10,703 | -2.2% |
| 2023 | 9,701 | -9.4% |
| 2024 | 9,929 | +2.4% |
| 2025 | 10,237 | +3.1% |
| 2026 | 10,555 | +3.1% |
| 2027 | 10,880 | +3.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 7,266 | 6,977 | 7,587 | 6 |
| 2010s | 8,783 | 7,672 | 9,937 | 10 |
| 2020s | 10,564 | 9,701 | 11,561 | 8 |
More work & labour data for Western Africa
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 532,234 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.245 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate 0.6577 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 2.78 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.1926 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.2192 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 1.07 million 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 516,634 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 293,084 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 537,547 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is potential labour force in Western Africa?
- Potential labour force in Western Africa was 10,880 in 2027, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest potential labour force recorded in Western Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 11,561 in 2020.
- What is the lowest potential labour force recorded in Western Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 6,977 in 2004.
- How does Western Africa rank for potential labour force?
- Western Africa ranks 35th out of 87 groups with data for 2027.
- Is potential labour force rising or falling in Western Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Western 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.