Wage and salaried workers, female (% of female employment) in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Wage and salaried workers, female (% of female employment) was 16.9% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Wage and salaried workers, female (% of female employment) in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
The most recent figure for wage and salaried workers, female (% of female employment) in Sub-Saharan Africa is 16.9%, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 35 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.2% on the previous year and up 5.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, wage and salaried workers, female (% of female employment) in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 16.9% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 12.1%, in 1991.
That places Sub-Saharan Africa 41st out of 47 groups 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 Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 12.1% | — |
| 1992 | 12.2% | +0.3% |
| 1993 | 12.2% | +0.1% |
| 1994 | 12.2% | -0.3% |
| 1995 | 12.3% | +1.0% |
| 1996 | 12.5% | +2.2% |
| 1997 | 12.8% | +1.8% |
| 1998 | 12.9% | +1.1% |
| 1999 | 13.1% | +1.2% |
| 2000 | 13.2% | +1.1% |
| 2001 | 13.3% | +0.8% |
| 2002 | 13.4% | +1.1% |
| 2003 | 13.6% | +1.1% |
| 2004 | 13.8% | +1.3% |
| 2005 | 13.8% | +0.4% |
| 2006 | 14.0% | +1.4% |
| 2007 | 14.3% | +1.9% |
| 2008 | 14.5% | +1.3% |
| 2009 | 14.6% | +0.9% |
| 2010 | 14.6% | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 14.9% | +1.6% |
| 2012 | 15.1% | +1.4% |
| 2013 | 15.4% | +2.3% |
| 2014 | 15.8% | +2.3% |
| 2015 | 16.1% | +2.0% |
| 2016 | 16.2% | +0.8% |
| 2017 | 16.5% | +1.7% |
| 2018 | 16.8% | +1.6% |
| 2019 | 16.8% | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 16.1% | -4.4% |
| 2021 | 16.3% | +1.0% |
| 2022 | 16.5% | +1.7% |
| 2023 | 16.6% | +0.1% |
| 2024 | 16.7% | +1.0% |
| 2025 | 16.9% | +1.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 12.5% | 12.1% | 13.1% | 9 |
| 2000s | 13.9% | 13.2% | 14.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 15.8% | 14.6% | 16.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 16.5% | 16.1% | 16.9% | 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 wage and salaried workers, female (% of female employment) in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Wage and salaried workers, female (% of female employment) in Sub-Saharan Africa was 16.9% 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 Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 16.9% in 2025.
- What is the lowest wage and salaried workers, female (% of female employment) recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.1% in 1991.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for wage and salaried workers, female (% of female employment)?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 41st out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is wage and salaried workers, female (% of female employment) rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- 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 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.