Wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) in Nigeria
Nigeria: Wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) was 13.8% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) in Nigeria, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) in Nigeria stood at 13.8%. That is the highest value across all 35 years on record.
The figure is up 2.0% on the previous year and up 10.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) in Nigeria peaked at 13.8% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 4.4%, in 1991.
That places Nigeria 183rd 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, total (% of total employment) in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 4.4% | — |
| 1992 | 4.7% | +6.5% |
| 1993 | 4.9% | +3.5% |
| 1994 | 5.0% | +2.7% |
| 1995 | 5.2% | +3.6% |
| 1996 | 5.3% | +3.3% |
| 1997 | 5.5% | +3.0% |
| 1998 | 5.6% | +2.4% |
| 1999 | 5.8% | +3.4% |
| 2000 | 6.1% | +4.5% |
| 2001 | 6.4% | +4.6% |
| 2002 | 6.8% | +6.9% |
| 2003 | 7.3% | +7.7% |
| 2004 | 7.9% | +7.5% |
| 2005 | 8.4% | +6.5% |
| 2006 | 8.9% | +5.7% |
| 2007 | 9.3% | +5.2% |
| 2008 | 9.8% | +4.9% |
| 2009 | 10.2% | +4.3% |
| 2010 | 10.7% | +4.9% |
| 2011 | 11.2% | +4.2% |
| 2012 | 11.5% | +3.2% |
| 2013 | 11.9% | +3.1% |
| 2014 | 12.2% | +3.0% |
| 2015 | 12.5% | +2.4% |
| 2016 | 12.7% | +1.8% |
| 2017 | 13.0% | +1.9% |
| 2018 | 13.2% | +1.8% |
| 2019 | 13.4% | +1.6% |
| 2020 | 12.4% | -7.7% |
| 2021 | 12.9% | +3.8% |
| 2022 | 13.1% | +1.6% |
| 2023 | 13.3% | +1.9% |
| 2024 | 13.6% | +1.9% |
| 2025 | 13.8% | +2.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 5.2% | 4.4% | 5.8% | 9 |
| 2000s | 8.1% | 6.1% | 10.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 12.2% | 10.7% | 13.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 13.2% | 12.4% | 13.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
- 180 Mozambique 14.7% compare
- 181 Tanzania, United Republic of 14.7% compare
- 182 Central African Republic 14.6% compare
- 184 Madagascar 11.7% compare
- 185 Sierra Leone 11.2% compare
- 186 Niger 10.5% 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, total (% of total employment) in Nigeria?
- Wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) in Nigeria was 13.8% 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 Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 13.8% in 2025.
- What is the lowest wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.4% in 1991.
- How does Nigeria rank for wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment)?
- Nigeria ranks 183rd out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.6%. 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, 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.