Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) was 5.7% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
Sub-Saharan Africa recorded 5.7% for unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.2% on the previous year and down 2.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 6.8% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 5.6%, in 2013.
That places Sub-Saharan Africa 12th out of 47 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 6.4% | — |
| 1992 | 6.5% | +1.5% |
| 1993 | 6.6% | +0.7% |
| 1994 | 6.5% | -1.1% |
| 1995 | 6.4% | -2.2% |
| 1996 | 6.3% | -1.3% |
| 1997 | 6.2% | -0.6% |
| 1998 | 6.3% | +0.4% |
| 1999 | 6.4% | +1.7% |
| 2000 | 6.4% | -0.3% |
| 2001 | 6.3% | -1.5% |
| 2002 | 6.2% | -1.7% |
| 2003 | 6.1% | -1.1% |
| 2004 | 5.9% | -2.4% |
| 2005 | 5.8% | -1.7% |
| 2006 | 5.8% | -1.6% |
| 2007 | 5.7% | -0.7% |
| 2008 | 5.7% | -0.1% |
| 2009 | 5.8% | +1.0% |
| 2010 | 5.9% | +3.0% |
| 2011 | 5.9% | -0.4% |
| 2012 | 5.8% | -1.9% |
| 2013 | 5.6% | -3.9% |
| 2014 | 5.6% | +1.0% |
| 2015 | 5.8% | +2.8% |
| 2016 | 5.9% | +1.4% |
| 2017 | 6.0% | +2.2% |
| 2018 | 6.0% | +0.6% |
| 2019 | 6.2% | +2.5% |
| 2020 | 6.7% | +7.6% |
| 2021 | 6.8% | +2.9% |
| 2022 | 6.1% | -11.2% |
| 2023 | 5.8% | -5.3% |
| 2024 | 5.7% | -1.6% |
| 2025 | 5.7% | -0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 6.4% | 6.2% | 6.6% | 9 |
| 2000s | 6.0% | 5.7% | 6.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.9% | 5.6% | 6.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.1% | 5.7% | 6.8% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
More education data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 5.14 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 81.43 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 196.80 million (2024)
- Population ages 0-14 40.4% (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.9738 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 56.4% (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1526 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) in Sub-Saharan Africa was 5.7% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest unemployment, total (% of total labor force) recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 6.8% in 2021.
- What is the lowest unemployment, total (% of total labor force) recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.6% in 2013.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for unemployment, total (% of total labor force)?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 12th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment, total (% of total labor force) rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa data come from?
- The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment.