Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Nigeria
Nigeria: Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) was 3.5% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Nigeria, 1983–2024
Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Nigeria recorded 3.5% for unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 12.4% on the previous year and down 24.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Nigeria peaked at 8.4% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 2.1%, in 1983.
That places Nigeria 136th out of 187 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 12 years of available data.
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1983 | 2.1% | — |
| 1986 | 3.9% | +90.0% |
| 2011 | 3.8% | -4.4% |
| 2013 | 3.7% | -1.6% |
| 2014 | 4.6% | +22.9% |
| 2015 | 4.3% | -5.5% |
| 2016 | 7.1% | +63.8% |
| 2017 | 8.4% | +18.8% |
| 2019 | 4.4% | -47.0% |
| 2022 | 3.8% | -14.0% |
| 2023 | 3.1% | -19.7% |
| 2024 | 3.5% | +12.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 3.0% | 2.1% | 3.9% | 2 |
| 2010s | 5.2% | 3.7% | 8.4% | 7 |
| 2020s | 3.5% | 3.1% | 3.8% | 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, total (% of total labor force) in Nigeria?
- Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Nigeria was 3.5% in 2024, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest unemployment, total (% of total labor force) recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 8.4% in 2017.
- What is the lowest unemployment, total (% of total labor force) recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.1% in 1983.
- How does Nigeria rank for unemployment, total (% of total labor force)?
- Nigeria ranks 136th out of 187 countries with data for 2024.
- Is unemployment, total (% of total labor force) rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 24.3%. 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, total (% of total 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.