Unemployment rate, by sex and age - 13th ICLS in Western Africa
Western Africa: Unemployment rate, by sex and age - 13th ICLS was 2.9% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Unemployment rate, by sex and age - 13th ICLS in Western Africa, 2000–2025
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment rate, by sex and age - 13th icls in Western Africa stood at 2.9%.
The figure is up 0.7% on the previous year and down 27.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rate, by sex and age - 13th icls in Western Africa peaked at 4.6% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 2.9%, in 2024.
That places Western Africa 37th out of 39 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 26 years of available data.
Unemployment rate, by sex and age - 13th ICLS in Western Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 4.2% | — |
| 2001 | 4.1% | -1.9% |
| 2002 | 4.0% | -3.9% |
| 2003 | 3.9% | -1.8% |
| 2004 | 3.9% | -0.8% |
| 2005 | 3.9% | +1.3% |
| 2006 | 3.8% | -2.6% |
| 2007 | 3.8% | +0.3% |
| 2008 | 3.8% | -0.3% |
| 2009 | 3.8% | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 3.8% | -1.0% |
| 2011 | 3.8% | -0.5% |
| 2012 | 3.8% | +0.8% |
| 2013 | 3.5% | -8.2% |
| 2014 | 3.7% | +6.1% |
| 2015 | 4.0% | +8.7% |
| 2016 | 4.0% | -0.2% |
| 2017 | 4.1% | +3.0% |
| 2018 | 4.2% | +1.2% |
| 2019 | 4.2% | +1.4% |
| 2020 | 4.6% | +9.5% |
| 2021 | 4.5% | -3.0% |
| 2022 | 3.3% | -25.4% |
| 2023 | 2.9% | -12.9% |
| 2024 | 2.9% | -1.0% |
| 2025 | 2.9% | +0.7% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Unemployment rate, by sex and age - 13th ICLS 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 | -25.4% | 4.5% | 3.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 3.9% | 3.8% | 4.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.9% | 3.5% | 4.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.5% | 2.9% | 4.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Western Africa
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. — Rural population 293,084 1000 No (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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment rate, by sex and age - 13th icls in Western Africa?
- Unemployment rate, by sex and age - 13th icls in Western Africa was 2.9% in 2025, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest unemployment rate, by sex and age - 13th icls recorded in Western Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 4.6% in 2020.
- What is the lowest unemployment rate, by sex and age - 13th icls recorded in Western Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.9% in 2024.
- How does Western Africa rank for unemployment rate, by sex and age - 13th icls?
- Western Africa ranks 37th out of 39 groups with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment rate, by sex and age - 13th icls rising or falling in Western Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 27.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Western Africa data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Unemployment rate, by sex and age - 13th ICLS (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 26 observations, free to reuse under UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested).