Potential labour force rate in Africa
Africa: Potential labour force rate was 6.59 in 2027. ▲ Rising
Potential labour force rate in Africa, 2004–2027
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
The most recent figure for potential labour force rate in Africa is 6.59, measured in 2027.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.2% on the previous year and down 2.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, potential labour force rate in Africa peaked at 7.67 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 6.25, in 2008.
That places Africa 18th 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 rate in Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 6.71 | — |
| 2005 | 6.55 | -2.3% |
| 2006 | 6.37 | -2.7% |
| 2007 | 6.33 | -0.6% |
| 2008 | 6.25 | -1.3% |
| 2009 | 6.33 | +1.2% |
| 2010 | 6.45 | +2.0% |
| 2011 | 6.48 | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 6.51 | +0.4% |
| 2013 | 6.32 | -2.9% |
| 2014 | 6.43 | +1.9% |
| 2015 | 6.59 | +2.4% |
| 2016 | 6.69 | +1.6% |
| 2017 | 6.73 | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 6.82 | +1.3% |
| 2019 | 6.87 | +0.8% |
| 2020 | 7.67 | +11.6% |
| 2021 | 7.07 | -7.8% |
| 2022 | 6.87 | -2.8% |
| 2023 | 6.49 | -5.6% |
| 2024 | 6.58 | +1.3% |
| 2025 | 6.62 | +0.7% |
| 2026 | 6.61 | -0.2% |
| 2027 | 6.59 | -0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 6.42 | 6.25 | 6.71 | 6 |
| 2010s | 6.59 | 6.32 | 6.87 | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.81 | 6.49 | 7.67 | 8 |
More work & labour data for Africa
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 3.81 million 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 1.04 million 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 1.93 million 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 1.89 million 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 1.49 million 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 2.68 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.3661 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate 0.4458 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.3781 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.3537 % change on previous year (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is potential labour force rate in Africa?
- Potential labour force rate in Africa was 6.59 in 2027, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest potential labour force rate recorded in Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 7.67 in 2020.
- What is the lowest potential labour force rate recorded in Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.25 in 2008.
- How does Africa rank for potential labour force rate?
- Africa ranks 18th out of 87 groups with data for 2027.
- Is potential labour force rate rising or falling in Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Africa data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Potential labour force rate. 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
With the aim of promoting international comparability, statistics presented on ILOSTAT are based on standard international definitions wherever feasible and may differ from official national figures. This series is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. For time series comparability, it includes countries that have implemented the 19th ICLS standards, for which data are also available in the Work Statistics -- 19th ICLS (WORK) database. 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 Labour Force Statistics (LFS and STLFS) database description.