Unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) was 9.4% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) in Sub-Saharan Africa stood at 9.4%.
That represents a change of up 1.0% on the previous year and down 14.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 12.2% in 1993 and was at its lowest, 9.3%, in 2024.
That places Sub-Saharan Africa 39th 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 male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 12.0% | — |
| 1992 | 12.1% | +0.6% |
| 1993 | 12.2% | +0.8% |
| 1994 | 12.1% | -1.1% |
| 1995 | 11.8% | -2.3% |
| 1996 | 11.6% | -1.6% |
| 1997 | 11.5% | -0.5% |
| 1998 | 11.6% | +0.2% |
| 1999 | 11.7% | +1.6% |
| 2000 | 11.8% | +0.5% |
| 2001 | 11.7% | -0.5% |
| 2002 | 11.6% | -1.3% |
| 2003 | 11.5% | -0.8% |
| 2004 | 11.3% | -1.7% |
| 2005 | 11.2% | -0.8% |
| 2006 | 11.1% | -1.4% |
| 2007 | 11.0% | -0.5% |
| 2008 | 11.0% | -0.1% |
| 2009 | 11.2% | +2.1% |
| 2010 | 11.7% | +4.5% |
| 2011 | 11.7% | -0.7% |
| 2012 | 11.4% | -2.2% |
| 2013 | 10.9% | -4.2% |
| 2014 | 10.9% | -0.2% |
| 2015 | 10.9% | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 10.9% | -0.2% |
| 2017 | 10.9% | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 10.9% | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 11.1% | +1.8% |
| 2020 | 11.7% | +5.4% |
| 2021 | 11.2% | -4.5% |
| 2022 | 9.9% | -11.5% |
| 2023 | 9.4% | -4.5% |
| 2024 | 9.3% | -1.8% |
| 2025 | 9.4% | +1.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 11.8% | 11.5% | 12.2% | 9 |
| 2000s | 11.4% | 11.0% | 11.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 11.1% | 10.9% | 11.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 10.1% | 9.3% | 11.7% | 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 male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) in Sub-Saharan Africa was 9.4% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 12.2% in 1993.
- What is the lowest unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.3% in 2024.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24)?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 39th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.2%. 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 male (% of male 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.