Unemployment, youth female (% of female labor force ages 15-24) in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Unemployment, youth female (% of female labor force ages 15-24) was 11.0% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Unemployment, youth female (% of female labor force ages 15-24) in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Sub-Saharan Africa recorded 11.0% for unemployment, youth female (% of female labor force ages 15-24) in 2025. That is the lowest value across all 35 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.1% on the previous year and down 9.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, youth female (% of female labor force ages 15-24) in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 13.7% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 11.0%, in 2025.
That places Sub-Saharan Africa 38th out of 47 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment, youth female (% of female labor force ages 15-24) in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 12.7% | — |
| 1992 | 12.8% | +0.7% |
| 1993 | 12.7% | -0.7% |
| 1994 | 12.6% | -1.1% |
| 1995 | 12.5% | -0.8% |
| 1996 | 12.5% | -0.1% |
| 1997 | 12.5% | +0.4% |
| 1998 | 12.6% | +0.6% |
| 1999 | 12.8% | +1.7% |
| 2000 | 12.8% | -0.1% |
| 2001 | 12.7% | -0.2% |
| 2002 | 12.7% | -0.2% |
| 2003 | 12.8% | +0.3% |
| 2004 | 12.6% | -1.4% |
| 2005 | 12.5% | -0.8% |
| 2006 | 12.4% | -1.0% |
| 2007 | 12.3% | -0.6% |
| 2008 | 12.2% | -0.3% |
| 2009 | 12.5% | +2.2% |
| 2010 | 13.1% | +4.4% |
| 2011 | 13.1% | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 12.9% | -1.6% |
| 2013 | 12.4% | -4.0% |
| 2014 | 12.2% | -1.8% |
| 2015 | 12.2% | -0.0% |
| 2016 | 12.2% | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 12.1% | -0.7% |
| 2018 | 12.1% | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 12.3% | +1.4% |
| 2020 | 13.7% | +11.6% |
| 2021 | 13.2% | -3.8% |
| 2022 | 11.8% | -10.2% |
| 2023 | 11.2% | -4.8% |
| 2024 | 11.1% | -1.2% |
| 2025 | 11.0% | -1.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 12.6% | 12.5% | 12.8% | 9 |
| 2000s | 12.5% | 12.2% | 12.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 12.4% | 12.1% | 13.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 12.0% | 11.0% | 13.7% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
More work & labour data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Labour force participation rate (ILO modelled estimates) 70.23 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 564,978 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) 239,462 (2027)
- Unemployment rate (ILO modelled estimates) 5.73 (2027)
- Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+), annual growth rate 2.92 % change on previous year (2027)
- Labour dependency ratio 1.5 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2021 international $ at PPP 11,723 (2027)
- Persons outside the labour force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+) 3.04 % change on previous year (2027)
- Employment-to-population ratio (ILO modelled estimates) 66.21 (2027)
- Output per worker, GDP constant 2015 US $ 4,279 (2027)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment, youth female (% of female labor force ages 15-24) in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Unemployment, youth female (% of female labor force ages 15-24) in Sub-Saharan Africa was 11.0% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest unemployment, youth female (% of female labor force ages 15-24) recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 13.7% in 2020.
- What is the lowest unemployment, youth female (% of female labor force ages 15-24) recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.0% in 2025.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for unemployment, youth female (% of female labor force ages 15-24)?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 38th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, youth female (% of female labor force ages 15-24) rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Unemployment, youth female (% of female labor force ages 15-24) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Youth unemployment refers to the share of the labor force ages 15-24 without work but available for and seeking employment.