Nigeria: Labor force participation

* indicates monthly or quarterly data series
 Nigeria

Labor force participation rate

 Latest value 82.52
 Year 2025
 Measure percent
 Data availability 1990 - 2025
 Average 82.09
 Min - Max 79.31 - 84.10
 Source The World Bank
 Available for Data download
The latest value from 2025 is 82.52 percent, a decline from 82.57 percent in 2024. In comparison, the world average is 60.86 percent, based on data from 176 countries. Historically, the average for Nigeria from 1990 to 2025 is 82.09 percent. The minimum value, 79.31 percent, was reached in 2020 while the maximum of 84.1 percent was recorded in 1995. See the global rankings for that indicator or use the country comparator to compare trends over time.
Select indicator
* indicates monthly or quarterly data series
From   To 


 Recent values Nigeria: Labor force participation
 2025 82.52
 2024 82.57
 2023 82.56
 2022 81.27
 2021 80.14
 2020 79.31
 2019 81.00
 2018 80.96




The labor force participation rate is the percent of the population ages 15 and older that is economically active. That includes the employed and the unemployed individuals.
Definition: Labor force participation rate is the proportion of the population ages 15 and older that is economically active: all people who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period.

Other resources:

Download data from our database

All indicators for Nigeria

All indicators on the website

Article: Are trade deficits bad for the economy?

Article: Sources of economic growth

Article: Currency values and investment returns

All articles



 Related indicators Latest Reference Measure
 Labor force 116.58 2025 million people
 Unemployment rate 3.06 2025 percent
 Female unemployment 3.88 2025 percent
 Male unemployment 2.30 2025 percent
 Youth unemployment 5.34 2025 percent
 Labor force participation 82.52 2025 percent
 Labor force: percent female 48.40 2025 percent
 Female labor force participation 80.70 2025 percent
 Male labor force participation 84.30 2025 percent
 Self-employment 86.15 2025 percent
 Employment 57.52 Q4/2020 million employed people
 Unemployment rate 33.28 Q4/2020 percent
This site uses cookies.
Learn more here


OK