Wage and salaried workers, male (% of male employment) in Nigeria
Nigeria: Wage and salaried workers, male (% of male employment) was 17.0% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Wage and salaried workers, male (% of male employment) in Nigeria, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, wage and salaried workers, male (% of male employment) in Nigeria stood at 17.0%. That is the highest value across all 35 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.6% on the previous year and up 8.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, wage and salaried workers, male (% of male employment) in Nigeria peaked at 17.0% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 6.2%, in 1991.
Nigeria ranks 184th of 187 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Wage and salaried workers, male (% of male employment) in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 6.2% | — |
| 1992 | 6.6% | +5.8% |
| 1993 | 6.8% | +2.9% |
| 1994 | 6.9% | +2.2% |
| 1995 | 7.1% | +2.8% |
| 1996 | 7.3% | +2.6% |
| 1997 | 7.5% | +2.5% |
| 1998 | 7.6% | +2.0% |
| 1999 | 7.8% | +2.9% |
| 2000 | 8.1% | +3.9% |
| 2001 | 8.5% | +4.1% |
| 2002 | 9.0% | +6.4% |
| 2003 | 9.6% | +7.0% |
| 2004 | 10.3% | +6.9% |
| 2005 | 10.9% | +5.9% |
| 2006 | 11.5% | +5.2% |
| 2007 | 12.0% | +4.8% |
| 2008 | 12.6% | +4.5% |
| 2009 | 13.1% | +4.0% |
| 2010 | 13.7% | +4.4% |
| 2011 | 14.1% | +3.6% |
| 2012 | 14.6% | +2.9% |
| 2013 | 15.0% | +2.7% |
| 2014 | 15.3% | +2.6% |
| 2015 | 15.6% | +2.0% |
| 2016 | 15.8% | +1.3% |
| 2017 | 16.1% | +1.3% |
| 2018 | 16.2% | +1.2% |
| 2019 | 16.4% | +1.2% |
| 2020 | 15.3% | -7.2% |
| 2021 | 15.8% | +3.4% |
| 2022 | 16.1% | +2.0% |
| 2023 | 16.4% | +2.2% |
| 2024 | 16.7% | +1.5% |
| 2025 | 17.0% | +1.6% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 17.0% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 41.5%, 41% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 17.0% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 36.6%, 46% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 7.1% | 6.2% | 7.8% | 9 |
| 2000s | 10.6% | 8.1% | 13.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 15.3% | 13.7% | 16.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 16.2% | 15.3% | 17.0% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
- 181 Central African Republic 17.3% compare
- 182 Afghanistan 17.2% compare
- 183 Sierra Leone 17.0% compare
- 185 Niger 15.4% compare
- 186 Madagascar 13.9% compare
- 187 Chad 11.9% 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, male (% of male employment) in Nigeria?
- Wage and salaried workers, male (% of male employment) in Nigeria was 17.0% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest wage and salaried workers, male (% of male employment) recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 17.0% in 2025.
- What is the lowest wage and salaried workers, male (% of male employment) recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.2% in 1991.
- How does Nigeria rank for wage and salaried workers, male (% of male employment)?
- Nigeria ranks 184th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is wage and salaried workers, male (% of male employment) rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.4%. 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, male (% of male 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.