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Labour · Sub-Saharan Africa · Lower-middle income

Tanzania: the labour market

Labour force is 34.1m (2025), 21st of 187 in the world and 4th of 47 in Sub-Saharan Africa. Participation rate is 83.7% (2025), 4th of 187 in the world and 2nd of 47 in Sub-Saharan Africa. Women's participation is 80.3% (2025), 4th of 187 in the world and 3rd of 47 in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Labour force34.1m2025 · world 21/187 · region 4/47Participation rate83.7%2025 · world 4/187 · region 2/47Women's participation80.3%2025 · world 4/187 · region 3/47Employment rate82.4%2025 · world 4/187 · region 2/47
Labour force
Tanzania
010.0m20.0m30.0m40.0m1995200020052010201520202025Tanzania34.1m
Participation rate
TanzaniaSub-Saharan AfricaLower-middle incomeWorld
50%60%70%80%90%1995200020052010201520202025Tanzania83.7%Sub-Saharan AfricaLower-middle incomeWorld
13 indicators

Labour: Tanzania 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, total34.1m202521/1874/4716.4m21.1m28.6m+41%since 2015527m1.2bn3.7bn
Participation rateLabour force participation, % of 15+83.7%20254/1872/4786.4%86.3%82.8%−0.2 ppsince 201570.3%58.2%61.0%
Women's participationFemale labour force participation, % of women 15+80.3%20254/1873/4784.3%83.9%79.3%+0.2 ppsince 201565.2%39.2%48.9%
Employment rateEmployment to population ratio, 15+ (ILO)82.4%20254/1872/4783.7%83.7%81.4%+0.2 ppsince 201566.3%55.6%58.1%
UnemploymentUnemployment, % of labour force (ILO)1.6%2025176/18744/473.1%3.0%1.8%−0.4 ppsince 20155.7%4.5%4.8%
Female unemploymentFemale unemployment, % of female labour force (ILO)2.2%2025167/18739/473.2%3.6%2.5%−0.4 ppsince 20156.3%4.9%4.9%
Youth unemploymentYouth unemployment, ages 15–24 (ILO)2.4%2025181/18743/475.5%5.9%2.7%−1.1 ppsince 201510.1%13.1%13.4%
Youth NEET rateYouth not in education, employment or training, %15.2%2025107/17037/4412.2%200112.2%11.7%+0.3 ppsince 2014—21.8%—
Wage workersWage and salaried workers, % of total employment14.7%2025181/18741/478.5%11.5%13.4%+1.9 ppsince 201522.3%29.6%53.6%
Vulnerable employmentVulnerable employment, % of total employment (ILO)83.7%20258/1878/4790.0%87.0%85.0%−2.0 ppsince 201571.0%65.5%42.4%
Jobs in agricultureEmployment in agriculture, % of total employment64.6%202510/1879/4773.4%69.1%65.8%−1.9 ppsince 201549.3%39.8%25.8%
Jobs in industryEmployment in industry, % of total employment8.1%2025173/18739/477.4%7.5%8.0%+0.2 ppsince 201512.2%22.4%23.7%
Jobs in servicesEmployment in services, % of total employment27.3%2025179/18741/4719.2%23.4%26.2%+1.6 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

Tanzania and its neighbours

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

IndicatorTanzaniaDemocratic Republic of the CongoKenyaUgandaMozambiqueMalawi
Labour force34.1m202539.2m202524.7m202523.4m202515.7m20258.3m2025
Participation rate83.7%202564.3%202567.4%202580.0%202578.7%202562.6%2025
Women's participation80.3%202561.8%202563.0%202575.6%202577.1%202558.2%2025
Employment rate82.4%202561.5%202563.7%202577.8%202573.5%202559.4%2025
Unemployment1.6%20254.4%20255.4%20252.7%20256.6%20255.1%2025
Female unemployment2.2%20253.5%20256.7%20253.3%20257.2%20256.0%2025
Youth unemployment2.4%20257.8%202515.2%20254.2%202511.6%20256.9%2025
Youth NEET rate15.2%202531.4%202018.5%202113.8%202119.2%202239.4%2024
Wage workers14.7%202514.9%202535.2%202519.5%202514.7%202538.7%2025
Democratic Republic of the Congo: labourKenya: labourUganda: labourMozambique: labourMalawi: labour
Labour in Sub-Saharan Africaall 48 economies rankedLabour: lower-middle-income countries47 economies rankedLabour: world leaderboardstop and bottom countriesTanzania: all key statisticscountry profile