Total employment, female in Sub-Saharan Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa: Total employment, female was 145.79 million ages 15+ in 2011. ▲ Rising

Latest (2011)
145.79 million ages 15+
Change on year
up 2.8%
Rank
2nd
of 6 groups
All-time high
145.79 million ages 15+
in 2011
All-time low
77.61 million ages 15+
in 1991
Years of data
21
1991–2011

Total employment, female in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1991–2011

050.0M100.0M150.0M1991200120111991: 77.6M ages 15+1992: 80.5M ages 15+1993: 83.0M ages 15+1994: 86.3M ages 15+1995: 89.2M ages 15+1996: 91.7M ages 15+1997: 94.6M ages 15+1998: 97.5M ages 15+1999: 100.4M ages 15+2000: 104.2M ages 15+2001: 107.5M ages 15+2002: 111.3M ages 15+2003: 115.1M ages 15+2004: 119.5M ages 15+2005: 123.2M ages 15+2006: 126.8M ages 15+2007: 130.5M ages 15+2008: 134.4M ages 15+2009: 138.0M ages 15+2010: 141.8M ages 15+2011: 145.8M ages 15+

Source: International Labour Organization, Key Indicators of the Labour Market database. Measured in ages 15+.

Analysis

In 2011, total employment, female in Sub-Saharan Africa stood at 145.79 million ages 15+. That is the highest value across all 21 years on record.

That represents a change of up 2.8% on the previous year and up 35.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, total employment, female in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 145.79 million ages 15+ in 2011 and was at its lowest, 77.61 million ages 15+, in 1991.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 21 years of available data.

Total employment, female in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year

Annual values for Total employment, female (ages 15+) in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1991 to 2011.
Year ages 15+ Change
1991 77.61 million ages 15+
1992 80.47 million ages 15+ +3.7%
1993 82.96 million ages 15+ +3.1%
1994 86.30 million ages 15+ +4.0%
1995 89.17 million ages 15+ +3.3%
1996 91.72 million ages 15+ +2.9%
1997 94.59 million ages 15+ +3.1%
1998 97.51 million ages 15+ +3.1%
1999 100.44 million ages 15+ +3.0%
2000 104.19 million ages 15+ +3.7%
2001 107.53 million ages 15+ +3.2%
2002 111.26 million ages 15+ +3.5%
2003 115.13 million ages 15+ +3.5%
2004 119.49 million ages 15+ +3.8%
2005 123.23 million ages 15+ +3.1%
2006 126.81 million ages 15+ +2.9%
2007 130.51 million ages 15+ +2.9%
2008 134.36 million ages 15+ +2.9%
2009 138.01 million ages 15+ +2.7%
2010 141.76 million ages 15+ +2.7%
2011 145.79 million ages 15+ +2.8%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 88.97 million ages 15+ 77.61 million ages 15+ 100.44 million ages 15+ 9
2000s 121.05 million ages 15+ 104.19 million ages 15+ 138.01 million ages 15+ 10
2010s 143.78 million ages 15+ 141.76 million ages 15+ 145.79 million ages 15+ 2

Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa

  1. 1 Nigeria 20.79 million ages 15+ compare
  2. 2 Ethiopia 18.15 million ages 15+ compare
  3. 3 Democratic Republic of Congo 12.24 million ages 15+ compare
  4. 4 Tanzania 9.91 million ages 15+ compare
  5. 5 Kenya 6.68 million ages 15+ compare

See the full ranking of 56 places →

More work & labour data for Sub-Saharan Africa

All data for Sub-Saharan Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is total employment, female in Sub-Saharan Africa?
Total employment, female in Sub-Saharan Africa was 145.79 million ages 15+ in 2011, according to International Labour Organization, Key Indicators of the Labour Market database.
What is the highest total employment, female recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
The highest recorded value was 145.79 million ages 15+ in 2011.
What is the lowest total employment, female recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 77.61 million ages 15+ in 1991.
How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for total employment, female?
Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 2nd out of 6 groups with data for 2011.
Is total employment, female rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 35.6%. 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, Key Indicators of the Labour Market database, published as part of Total employment, female (ages 15+). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Total employment, female in Sub-Saharan Africa. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization, Key Indicators of the Labour Market database. Retrieved 29 August 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/total-employment-female-ages-15/sub-saharan-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Total employment, female (ages 15+)
Unit
ages 15+
Source
International Labour Organization, Key Indicators of the Labour Market database
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
56 places, 1,176 data points, 1991–2011
Last refreshed

Total employment shows the total number employed ages 15 and over.