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Labour · Sub-Saharan Africa · Lower-middle income

Nigeria: the labour market

Labour force is 117m (2025), 5th of 187 in the world and 1st of 47 in Sub-Saharan Africa. Participation rate is 82.5% (2025), 5th of 187 in the world and 3rd of 47 in Sub-Saharan Africa. Women's participation is 80.7% (2025), 3rd of 187 in the world and 2nd of 47 in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Labour force117m2025 · world 5/187 · region 1/47Participation rate82.5%2025 · world 5/187 · region 3/47Women's participation80.7%2025 · world 3/187 · region 2/47Employment rate80.0%2025 · world 6/187 · region 3/47
Labour force
Nigeria
050.0m100m150m1995200020052010201520202025Nigeria117m
Participation rate
NigeriaSub-Saharan AfricaLower-middle incomeWorld
50%60%70%80%90%1995200020052010201520202025Nigeria82.5%Sub-Saharan AfricaLower-middle incomeWorld
13 indicators

Labour: Nigeria 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, total117m20255/1871/4759.3m75.3m97.0m+36%since 2015527m1.2bn3.7bn
Participation rateLabour force participation, % of 15+82.5%20255/1873/4783.4%81.3%79.3%+1.7 ppsince 201570.3%58.2%61.0%
Women's participationFemale labour force participation, % of women 15+80.7%20253/1872/4777.6%76.4%74.9%+4.9 ppsince 201565.2%39.2%48.9%
Employment rateEmployment to population ratio, 15+ (ILO)80.0%20256/1873/4780.1%78.2%74.8%+2.5 ppsince 201566.3%55.6%58.1%
UnemploymentUnemployment, % of labour force (ILO)3.1%2025144/18733/474.0%3.7%5.7%−1.1 ppsince 20155.7%4.5%4.8%
Female unemploymentFemale unemployment, % of female labour force (ILO)3.9%2025132/18731/473.9%3.7%6.0%+0.1 ppsince 20156.3%4.9%4.9%
Youth unemploymentYouth unemployment, ages 15–24 (ILO)5.3%2025160/18733/477.6%7.9%10.8%−3.1 ppsince 201510.1%13.1%13.4%
Youth NEET rateYouth not in education, employment or training, %11.9%2024126/17043/44·29.1%201127.1%2019−15.9 ppsince 2013—21.8%—
Wage workersWage and salaried workers, % of total employment13.8%2025183/18743/476.1%10.7%12.4%+1.3 ppsince 201522.3%29.6%53.6%
Vulnerable employmentVulnerable employment, % of total employment (ILO)66.5%202533/18725/4773.9%69.5%68.0%−1.4 ppsince 201571.0%65.5%42.4%
Jobs in agricultureEmployment in agriculture, % of total employment33.5%202552/18734/4752.3%45.0%38.8%−6.5 ppsince 201549.3%39.8%25.8%
Jobs in industryEmployment in industry, % of total employment17.0%2025116/18716/479.4%11.7%14.5%+3.1 ppsince 201512.2%22.4%23.7%
Jobs in servicesEmployment in services, % of total employment49.5%2025133/18714/4738.3%43.3%46.7%+3.5 ppsince 201538.5%37.8%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

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

Nigeria and its neighbours

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

IndicatorNigeriaCameroonNigerChadBeninSão Tomé and Príncipe
Labour force117m202511.5m202512.0m20256.7m20256.6m202535,0752025
Participation rate82.5%202565.2%202579.7%202559.4%202576.4%202523.3%2025
Women's participation80.7%202556.6%202572.8%202547.3%202575.2%202522.7%2025
Employment rate80.0%202562.8%202579.4%202558.8%202575.1%202521.2%2025
Unemployment3.1%20253.6%20250.4%20251.1%20251.6%20259.1%2025
Female unemployment3.9%20254.1%20250.3%20250.7%20251.4%20259.3%2025
Youth unemployment5.3%20256.5%20250.5%20251.5%20252.9%20258.8%2025
Youth NEET rate11.9%202423.2%202115.7%202242.3%202214.2%202245.5%2017
Wage workers13.8%202530.7%202510.5%20258.4%202520.2%202556.0%2025
Cameroon: labourNiger: labourChad: labourBenin: labourSão Tomé and Príncipe: labour
Labour in Sub-Saharan Africaall 48 economies rankedLabour: lower-middle-income countries47 economies rankedLabour: world leaderboardstop and bottom countriesNigeria: all key statisticscountry profile