Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Nigeria
Nigeria: Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) was 2.7% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Nigeria, 1983–2024
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
The most recent figure for unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Nigeria is 2.7%, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of up 27.7% on the previous year and down 30.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Nigeria peaked at 7.6% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 1.2%, in 1983.
Nigeria ranks 144th of 181 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 12 years of available data.
Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | 1.2% | — |
| 1986 | 3.7% | +218.0% |
| 2011 | 3.8% | +3.4% |
| 2013 | 4.0% | +4.7% |
| 2014 | 3.8% | -4.8% |
| 2015 | 3.6% | -5.5% |
| 2016 | 6.1% | +69.3% |
| 2017 | 7.6% | +23.7% |
| 2019 | 4.4% | -42.2% |
| 2022 | 2.4% | -44.7% |
| 2023 | 2.1% | -14.4% |
| 2024 | 2.7% | +27.7% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 2.7% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 3.8%, 69% of the median. (39 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 2.7% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 4.4%, 60% of the median. (32 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 2.4% | 1.2% | 3.7% | 2 |
| 2010s | 4.8% | 3.6% | 7.6% | 7 |
| 2020s | 2.4% | 2.1% | 2.7% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
More work & labour data for Nigeria
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.0306 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.0025 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.0591 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate 0.3624 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 2.71 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 287,130 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 123,508 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 237,227 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 239,521 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 476,748 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Nigeria?
- Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Nigeria was 2.7% in 2024, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest unemployment, male (% of male labor force) recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 7.6% in 2017.
- What is the lowest unemployment, male (% of male labor force) recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.2% in 1983.
- How does Nigeria rank for unemployment, male (% of male labor force)?
- Nigeria ranks 144th out of 181 countries with data for 2024.
- Is unemployment, male (% of male labor force) rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 30.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Nigeria data come from?
- The figures come from Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) (national estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 12 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment. Definitions of labor force and unemployment differ by country.