Wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)
Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries): Wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) was 22.3% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries), 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
The most recent figure for wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) is 22.3%, measured in 2025.
The figure is up 0.8% on the previous year and up 0.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) peaked at 22.7% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 18.8%, in 1995.
That places Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) 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, total (% of total employment) in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 19.2% | — |
| 1992 | 19.1% | -0.4% |
| 1993 | 19.1% | -0.1% |
| 1994 | 18.9% | -0.9% |
| 1995 | 18.8% | -0.6% |
| 1996 | 18.9% | +0.6% |
| 1997 | 19.0% | +0.7% |
| 1998 | 19.1% | +0.6% |
| 1999 | 19.2% | +0.6% |
| 2000 | 19.4% | +0.6% |
| 2001 | 19.4% | +0.3% |
| 2002 | 19.6% | +0.7% |
| 2003 | 19.7% | +0.7% |
| 2004 | 19.9% | +0.9% |
| 2005 | 20.0% | +0.7% |
| 2006 | 20.2% | +1.0% |
| 2007 | 20.5% | +1.6% |
| 2008 | 20.8% | +1.2% |
| 2009 | 20.9% | +0.6% |
| 2010 | 21.0% | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 21.2% | +0.9% |
| 2012 | 21.4% | +1.1% |
| 2013 | 21.7% | +1.5% |
| 2014 | 22.0% | +1.5% |
| 2015 | 22.3% | +1.3% |
| 2016 | 22.4% | +0.4% |
| 2017 | 22.6% | +0.6% |
| 2018 | 22.7% | +0.7% |
| 2019 | 22.7% | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 21.8% | -4.2% |
| 2021 | 22.1% | +1.4% |
| 2022 | 22.4% | +1.2% |
| 2023 | 22.0% | -1.8% |
| 2024 | 22.2% | +0.9% |
| 2025 | 22.3% | +0.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 19.0% | 18.8% | 19.2% | 9 |
| 2000s | 20.0% | 19.4% | 20.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 22.0% | 21.0% | 22.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 22.1% | 21.8% | 22.4% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)
More work & labour data for Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) 49.3% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 75.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 70.3% (2025)
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 86.9% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) 53.4% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 66.7% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages) 65.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages) 71.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 76.5% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) 51.4% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) was 22.3% 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 Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The highest recorded value was 22.7% in 2019.
- What is the lowest wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.8% in 1995.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) rank for wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment)?
- Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 41st out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is wage and salaried workers, total (% of total employment) rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) 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.