Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) (national estimate) in Tanzania
Tanzania: Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) (national estimate) was 1.6% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Tanzania, 1991–2025
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
The most recent figure for unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Tanzania is 1.6%, measured in 2025.
The figure is up 4.2% on the previous year and down 0.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Tanzania peaked at 4.7% in 2002 and was at its lowest, 0.6%, in 2008.
Tanzania ranks 167th of 181 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 14 years of available data.
Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) (national estimate) in Tanzania, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 2.8% | — |
| 2001 | 3.0% | +8.1% |
| 2002 | 4.7% | +55.3% |
| 2006 | 2.1% | -55.3% |
| 2008 | 0.6% | -73.7% |
| 2009 | 2.2% | +297.8% |
| 2010 | 1.4% | -35.6% |
| 2011 | 2.6% | +84.6% |
| 2012 | 1.0% | -60.4% |
| 2013 | 2.1% | +102.4% |
| 2014 | 1.6% | -25.4% |
| 2020 | 1.1% | -27.9% |
| 2024 | 1.5% | +32.1% |
| 2025 | 1.6% | +4.2% |
Tanzania compared with similar countries
- Tanzania's 1.6% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 3.8%, 41% of the median. (39 countries reporting)
- Tanzania's 1.6% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 4.0%, 39% of the median. (32 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.8% | 2.8% | 2.8% | 1 |
| 2000s | 2.5% | 0.6% | 4.7% | 5 |
| 2010s | 1.7% | 1.0% | 2.6% | 5 |
| 2020s | 1.4% | 1.1% | 1.6% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Tanzania
More work & labour data for Tanzania
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 7,078 (2027)
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 83.66 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 36,231 (2027)
- Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) 1.52 (2027)
- Labour dependency ratio 1.09 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP 8,562 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2015 US $ 2,584 (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 82.38 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 3.35 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate 3.13 % change on previous year (2027)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Tanzania?
- Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) in Tanzania was 1.6% in 2025, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest unemployment, male (% of male labor force) recorded in Tanzania?
- The highest recorded value was 4.7% in 2002.
- What is the lowest unemployment, male (% of male labor force) recorded in Tanzania?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.6% in 2008.
- How does Tanzania rank for unemployment, male (% of male labor force)?
- Tanzania ranks 167th out of 181 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, male (% of male labor force) rising or falling in Tanzania?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Tanzania 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 — 14 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.