SDG indicator 8.5.2: Unemployment rate (previous ILO definition) in Western Africa
Western Africa: SDG indicator 8.5.2: Unemployment rate (previous ILO definition) was 2.97 in 2027. ▼ Falling
SDG indicator 8.5.2: Unemployment rate (previous ILO definition) in Western Africa, 2000–2027
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
The most recent figure for sdg indicator 8.5.2: unemployment rate (previous ilo definition) in Western Africa is 2.97, measured in 2027.
The figure is up 1.3% on the previous year and down 27.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, sdg indicator 8.5.2: unemployment rate (previous ilo definition) in Western Africa peaked at 4.62 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 2.88, in 2024.
That places Western Africa 78th out of 87 groups with data for 2027, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 28 years of available data.
SDG indicator 8.5.2: Unemployment rate (previous ILO definition) in Western Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 4.19 | — |
| 2001 | 4.11 | -1.8% |
| 2002 | 3.95 | -4.0% |
| 2003 | 3.88 | -1.7% |
| 2004 | 3.85 | -0.9% |
| 2005 | 3.9 | +1.5% |
| 2006 | 3.8 | -2.6% |
| 2007 | 3.81 | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 3.8 | -0.2% |
| 2009 | 3.81 | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 3.77 | -1.0% |
| 2011 | 3.75 | -0.5% |
| 2012 | 3.78 | +0.7% |
| 2013 | 3.47 | -8.0% |
| 2014 | 3.69 | +6.1% |
| 2015 | 4 | +8.4% |
| 2016 | 3.99 | -0.3% |
| 2017 | 4.11 | +3.0% |
| 2018 | 4.16 | +1.3% |
| 2019 | 4.22 | +1.6% |
| 2020 | 4.62 | +9.4% |
| 2021 | 4.48 | -3.1% |
| 2022 | 3.34 | -25.5% |
| 2023 | 2.91 | -12.8% |
| 2024 | 2.88 | -1.0% |
| 2025 | 2.9 | +0.7% |
| 2026 | 2.93 | +1.1% |
| 2027 | 2.97 | +1.3% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where SDG indicator 8.5.2: Unemployment rate (previous ILO definition) in Western Africa changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | -25.5% | 4.48 | 3.34 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 3.91 | 3.8 | 4.19 | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.89 | 3.47 | 4.22 | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.38 | 2.88 | 4.62 | 8 |
Countries ranked near Western Africa
- 75 Senegal 5.78 compare
- 76 Azerbaijan 5.7 compare
- 77 Afghanistan 5.68 compare
- 78 Zambia 5.67 compare
- 79 Puerto Rico 5.6 compare
- 80 Kenya 5.58 compare
- 81 Slovakia 5.42 compare
More work & labour data for Western Africa
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 532,234 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.2192 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.1926 % change on previous year (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. — Urban population 516,634 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 1.07 million 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 537,547 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 293,084 1000 No (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is sdg indicator 8.5.2: unemployment rate (previous ilo definition) in Western Africa?
- Sdg indicator 8.5.2: unemployment rate (previous ilo definition) in Western Africa was 2.97 in 2027, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest sdg indicator 8.5.2: unemployment rate (previous ilo definition) recorded in Western Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 4.62 in 2020.
- What is the lowest sdg indicator 8.5.2: unemployment rate (previous ilo definition) recorded in Western Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.88 in 2024.
- How does Western Africa rank for sdg indicator 8.5.2: unemployment rate (previous ilo definition)?
- Western Africa ranks 78th out of 87 groups with data for 2027.
- Is sdg indicator 8.5.2: unemployment rate (previous ilo definition) rising or falling in Western Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 27.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Western Africa data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of SDG indicator 8.5.2: Unemployment rate (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) (15+). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 28 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).
About this data
Data may differ from nationally reported figures and the Global SDG Indicators Database due to differences in sources and/or reference years. The unemployment rate conveys the number of persons who are unemployed as a percent of the labour force (i.e., the employed plus the unemployed). The unemployed comprise all persons of working age who were: a) without work during the reference period, i.e. were not in paid employment or self-employment; b) currently available for work, i.e. were available for paid employment or self-employment during the reference period; and c) seeking work, i.e. had taken specific steps in a specified recent period to seek paid employment or self-employment. For more information, refer to the Labour Market-related SDG Indicators (ILOSDG) database description.