World 8.2bn peopleGDP $118tnLife expectancy 73.5 yrsOnline 73.6%
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Labour · Sub-Saharan Africa · Upper-middle income

Equatorial Guinea: the labour market

Labour force is 737,977 (2025), 154th of 187 in the world and 42nd of 47 in Sub-Saharan Africa. Participation rate is 60.5% (2025), 101st of 187 in the world and 28th of 47 in Sub-Saharan Africa. Women's participation is 52.6% (2025), 100th of 187 in the world and 31st of 47 in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Labour force737,9772025 · world 154/187 · region 42/47Participation rate60.5%2025 · world 101/187 · region 28/47Women's participation52.6%2025 · world 100/187 · region 31/47Employment rate55.5%2025 · world 110/187 · region 29/47
Labour force
Equatorial Guinea
0200,000400,000600,000800,0001995200020052010201520202025Equatorial Guinea737,977
Participation rate
Equatorial GuineaSub-Saharan AfricaUpper-middle incomeWorld
55%60%65%70%75%1995200020052010201520202025Equatorial Guinea60.5%Sub-Saharan AfricaUpper-middle incomeWorld
13 indicators

Labour: Equatorial Guinea in detail

Latest reported value, world rank and rank within Sub-Saharan Africa; values around 2000, 2010, 2020; group and world columns are World Bank aggregates.

IndicatorLatestWorld rankIn region~2000~2010~202010-year changeRegionIncome groupWorldSince 2000
Labour forceLabour force, total737,9772025154/18742/47248,504434,694607,636+35%since 2015527m1.5bn3.7bn
Participation rateLabour force participation, % of 15+60.5%2025101/18728/4761.7%59.3%57.0%−0.5 ppsince 201570.3%62.7%61.0%
Women's participationFemale labour force participation, % of women 15+52.6%2025100/18731/4752.7%52.5%50.1%−1.0 ppsince 201565.2%53.4%48.9%
Employment rateEmployment to population ratio, 15+ (ILO)55.5%2025110/18729/4757.1%54.6%52.1%−0.8 ppsince 201566.3%59.5%58.1%
UnemploymentUnemployment, % of labour force (ILO)8.3%202552/18716/477.4%7.8%8.6%+0.6 ppsince 20155.7%5.2%4.8%
Female unemploymentFemale unemployment, % of female labour force (ILO)9.3%202555/18716/478.2%9.1%9.5%+0.5 ppsince 20156.3%5.1%4.9%
Youth unemploymentYouth unemployment, ages 15–24 (ILO)15.7%202574/18715/4714.8%15.6%17.4%+0.3 ppsince 201510.1%15.6%13.4%
Youth NEET rateYouth not in education, employment or training, %17.5%202391/17034/44···——17.3%—
Wage workersWage and salaried workers, % of total employment72.5%202581/1873/4767.2%77.3%72.8%−2.4 ppsince 201522.3%61.3%53.6%
Vulnerable employmentVulnerable employment, % of total employment (ILO)23.1%2025109/18745/4728.7%18.0%22.9%+2.4 ppsince 201571.0%34.8%42.4%
Jobs in agricultureEmployment in agriculture, % of total employment55.3%202517/18716/4763.7%55.4%56.2%−0.1 ppsince 201549.3%19.8%25.8%
Jobs in industryEmployment in industry, % of total employment9.9%2025165/18732/474.8%11.0%10.1%−1.2 ppsince 201512.2%27.7%23.7%
Jobs in servicesEmployment in services, % of total employment34.7%2025166/18730/4731.6%33.6%33.7%+1.3 ppsince 201538.5%52.4%50.6%
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (CC BY 4.0)“·” — no value reported within two years of that date. World rank counts countries with a recent value.

Better than ten years ago

No rated indicator improved over the decade.

Worse than ten years ago

Only indicators where higher or lower is clearly better are rated (for example, unemployment down is better, life expectancy up is better).

neighbours

Equatorial Guinea and its neighbours

Countries sharing a land border with Equatorial Guinea. Latest values since 2005; the highest in each row is marked.

IndicatorEquatorial GuineaCameroonGabonSão Tomé and Príncipe
Labour force737,977202511.5m2025844,145202535,0752025
Participation rate60.5%202565.2%202551.1%202523.3%2025
Women's participation52.6%202556.6%202541.6%202522.7%2025
Employment rate55.5%202562.8%202540.8%202521.2%2025
Unemployment8.3%20253.6%202520.2%20259.1%2025
Female unemployment9.3%20254.1%202528.6%20259.3%2025
Youth unemployment15.7%20256.5%202536.3%20258.8%2025
Youth NEET rate17.5%202323.2%202120.2%202445.5%2017
Wage workers72.5%202530.7%202567.6%202556.0%2025
Cameroon: labourGabon: labourSão Tomé and Príncipe: labour
Labour in Sub-Saharan Africaall 48 economies rankedLabour: upper-middle-income countries59 economies rankedLabour: world leaderboardstop and bottom countriesEquatorial Guinea: all key statisticscountry profile