Wage and salaried workers, female (% of female employment) in Nigeria
Nigeria: Wage and salaried workers, female (% of female employment) was 10.5% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Wage and salaried workers, female (% of female employment) in Nigeria, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, wage and salaried workers, female (% of female employment) in Nigeria stood at 10.5%. That is the highest value across all 35 years on record.
That represents a change of up 2.7% on the previous year and up 16.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, wage and salaried workers, female (% of female employment) in Nigeria peaked at 10.5% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 2.3%, in 1991.
That places Nigeria 174th out of 187 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Wage and salaried workers, female (% of female employment) in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 2.3% | — |
| 1992 | 2.6% | +9.2% |
| 1993 | 2.7% | +5.5% |
| 1994 | 2.8% | +4.7% |
| 1995 | 3.0% | +5.9% |
| 1996 | 3.1% | +5.0% |
| 1997 | 3.3% | +4.6% |
| 1998 | 3.4% | +3.3% |
| 1999 | 3.6% | +4.9% |
| 2000 | 3.8% | +6.1% |
| 2001 | 4.0% | +5.6% |
| 2002 | 4.3% | +8.1% |
| 2003 | 4.7% | +9.4% |
| 2004 | 5.1% | +9.0% |
| 2005 | 5.5% | +7.7% |
| 2006 | 5.9% | +6.7% |
| 2007 | 6.3% | +6.2% |
| 2008 | 6.6% | +5.9% |
| 2009 | 7.0% | +4.9% |
| 2010 | 7.4% | +6.0% |
| 2011 | 7.8% | +5.1% |
| 2012 | 8.1% | +4.1% |
| 2013 | 8.4% | +3.9% |
| 2014 | 8.7% | +3.8% |
| 2015 | 9.0% | +3.1% |
| 2016 | 9.2% | +2.8% |
| 2017 | 9.5% | +3.1% |
| 2018 | 9.8% | +2.9% |
| 2019 | 10.0% | +2.7% |
| 2020 | 9.1% | -9.2% |
| 2021 | 9.5% | +4.2% |
| 2022 | 9.6% | +0.5% |
| 2023 | 9.9% | +4.1% |
| 2024 | 10.2% | +2.6% |
| 2025 | 10.5% | +2.7% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 10.5% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 27.4%, 38% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 10.5% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 19.1%, 55% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3.0% | 2.3% | 3.6% | 9 |
| 2000s | 5.3% | 3.8% | 7.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 8.8% | 7.4% | 10.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.8% | 9.1% | 10.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
- 171 Uganda 12.1% compare
- 172 Central African Republic 11.7% compare
- 173 Burkina Faso 11.1% compare
- 175 Guinea 10.1% compare
- 176 Congo 9.9% compare
- 177 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 9.5% compare
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 wage and salaried workers, female (% of female employment) in Nigeria?
- Wage and salaried workers, female (% of female employment) in Nigeria was 10.5% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest wage and salaried workers, female (% of female employment) recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 10.5% in 2025.
- What is the lowest wage and salaried workers, female (% of female employment) recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.3% in 1991.
- How does Nigeria rank for wage and salaried workers, female (% of female employment)?
- Nigeria ranks 174th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is wage and salaried workers, female (% of female employment) rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 16.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Nigeria data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Wage and salaried workers, female (% of female employment) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Wage and salaried workers (employees) are those workers who hold the type of jobs defined as "paid employment jobs," where the incumbents hold explicit (written or oral) or implicit employment contracts that give them a basic remuneration that is not directly dependent upon the revenue of the unit for which they work.