Youth unemployment (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) in Nigeria

Nigeria: Youth unemployment (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) was 2,188 in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
2,188
Change on year
up 46.9%
World rank
5th
of 94 countries
All-time high
2,188
in 2024
All-time low
1,399
in 2013
Years of data
5
2011–2024

Youth unemployment (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) in Nigeria, 2011–2024

05001.0k1.5k2.0k2011201720242011: 1.5k2013: 1.4k2022: 1.8k2023: 1.5k2024: 2.2k

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

In 2024, youth unemployment (previous ilo definition - icls13) in Nigeria stood at 2,188. That is the highest value across all 5 years on record.

That represents a change of up 46.9% on the previous year and up 56.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, youth unemployment (previous ilo definition - icls13) in Nigeria peaked at 2,188 in 2024 and was at its lowest, 1,399, in 2013.

Nigeria ranks 5th of 94 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

Youth unemployment (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) in Nigeria, year by year

Annual values for Youth unemployment (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) (15-29) in Nigeria, 2011 to 2024.
Year Value Change
2011 1,509
2013 1,399 -7.3%
2022 1,823 +30.3%
2023 1,489 -18.3%
2024 2,188 +46.9%

Nigeria compared with similar countries

  • Nigeria's 2,188 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 428.6, 5.1× the median. (11 countries reporting)
  • Nigeria's 2,188 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 348.04, 6.3× the median. (10 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 1,454 1,399 1,509 2
2020s 1,833 1,489 2,188 3

Countries ranked near Nigeria

  1. 2 Indonesia 3,502 compare
  2. 3 South Africa 3,385 compare
  3. 4 United States 3,107 compare
  4. 6 Turkey 1,378 compare
  5. 7 Egypt 1,348 compare
  6. 8 Angola 1,126 compare

See the full ranking of 94 places →

More work & labour data for Nigeria

All data for Nigeria →

Frequently asked questions

What is youth unemployment (previous ilo definition - icls13) in Nigeria?
Youth unemployment (previous ilo definition - icls13) in Nigeria was 2,188 in 2024, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest youth unemployment (previous ilo definition - icls13) recorded in Nigeria?
The highest recorded value was 2,188 in 2024.
What is the lowest youth unemployment (previous ilo definition - icls13) recorded in Nigeria?
The lowest recorded value was 1,399 in 2013.
How does Nigeria rank for youth unemployment (previous ilo definition - icls13)?
Nigeria ranks 5th out of 94 countries with data for 2024.
Is youth unemployment (previous ilo definition - icls13) rising or falling in Nigeria?
Over the last ten years it is up 56.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Nigeria data come from?
The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Youth unemployment (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) (15-29). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Youth unemployment (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) in Nigeria. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 21 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/youth-unemployment-previous-ilo-definition-icls13-15-29/nigeria/

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About this data

Indicator
Youth unemployment (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) (15-29)
Source
International Labour Organization
Licence
ILO Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
94 places, 2,090 data points, 1976–2025
Last refreshed

With the aim of promoting international comparability, statistics presented on ILOSTAT are based on standard international definitions wherever feasible and may differ from official national figures. This series is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. For time series comparability, it includes countries that have implemented the 19th ICLS standards, for which data are also available in the Work Statistics -- 19th ICLS (WORK) database. The unemployed comprise all persons of working age who were: a) without work during the reference period, i.e. were not in paid employment or self-employment; b) currently available for work, i.e. were available for paid employment or self-employment during the reference period; and c) seeking work, i.e. had taken specific steps in a specified recent period to seek paid employment or self-employment. For more information, refer to the Youth Labour Market Indicators (YouthSTATS) database description.