Wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) in Africa Western and Central
Africa Western and Central: Wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) was 18.6% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) in Africa Western and Central, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) in Africa Western and Central stood at 18.6%. That is the highest value across all 35 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.4% on the previous year and up 14.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) in Africa Western and Central peaked at 18.6% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 9.6%, in 1991.
That places Africa Western and Central 47th 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, total (% of total employment) in Africa Western and Central, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 9.6% | — |
| 1992 | 9.8% | +1.5% |
| 1993 | 9.9% | +1.0% |
| 1994 | 10.0% | +0.9% |
| 1995 | 10.1% | +1.3% |
| 1996 | 10.3% | +1.5% |
| 1997 | 10.4% | +1.9% |
| 1998 | 10.6% | +1.9% |
| 1999 | 10.9% | +2.2% |
| 2000 | 11.2% | +2.5% |
| 2001 | 11.4% | +2.3% |
| 2002 | 11.8% | +3.0% |
| 2003 | 12.2% | +3.4% |
| 2004 | 12.6% | +3.4% |
| 2005 | 13.0% | +3.3% |
| 2006 | 13.4% | +3.0% |
| 2007 | 13.7% | +2.6% |
| 2008 | 14.1% | +2.6% |
| 2009 | 14.4% | +2.4% |
| 2010 | 14.8% | +2.7% |
| 2011 | 15.2% | +2.4% |
| 2012 | 15.4% | +1.7% |
| 2013 | 15.8% | +2.3% |
| 2014 | 16.1% | +1.7% |
| 2015 | 16.4% | +1.9% |
| 2016 | 16.7% | +1.9% |
| 2017 | 17.0% | +2.0% |
| 2018 | 17.4% | +2.1% |
| 2019 | 17.7% | +1.7% |
| 2020 | 16.8% | -4.8% |
| 2021 | 17.6% | +4.7% |
| 2022 | 18.0% | +2.4% |
| 2023 | 18.2% | +0.8% |
| 2024 | 18.4% | +1.2% |
| 2025 | 18.6% | +1.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 10.2% | 9.6% | 10.9% | 9 |
| 2000s | 12.8% | 11.2% | 14.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 16.2% | 14.8% | 17.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 17.9% | 16.8% | 18.6% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Africa Western and Central
More work & labour data for Africa Western and Central
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) 49.9% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 77.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 72.3% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 87.9% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) 54.5% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 68.5% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 67.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 73.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 78.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) 52.2% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) in Africa Western and Central?
- Wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) in Africa Western and Central was 18.6% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) recorded in Africa Western and Central?
- The highest recorded value was 18.6% in 2025.
- What is the lowest wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) recorded in Africa Western and Central?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.6% in 1991.
- How does Africa Western and Central rank for wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment)?
- Africa Western and Central ranks 47th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) rising or falling in Africa Western and Central?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Africa Western and Central data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Wage and salaried workers, total (% of total 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.