Nigeria — Labor participation
Labor Force Participation Rate for Nigeria, 1990–2025.
Labor participation for Nigeria was 82.52% in 2025, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 36 years, from 1990 to 2025. The highest recorded value was 84.09% in 1995. The lowest was 79.31% in 2020 (about 1.0× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to 0.03% per year.
Nigeria ranks 5 of 187 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 3%. The median for Sub-Saharan Africa is 64.31%, so Nigeria sits above it. It peaked in 1995 and has fallen 2% since. Over the last decade (2015–2025) the figure moved up 2%. Within Sub-Saharan Africa it ranks 3 of 47 economies; Uganda (80.03%) is just below it.
Data highlights
World ranking. Climbed: 10th of 187 in 1990 → 5th of 187 in 2000 → 9th of 187 in 2010 → 7th of 187 in 2020 → 5th of 182 in 2025.
Key figures
Full history — 1990 to 2025
| Year | % of population ages 15+ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 82.52% | -0.0 pp |
| 2024 | 82.57% | +0.0 pp |
| 2023 | 82.56% | +1.3 pp |
| 2022 | 81.27% | +1.1 pp |
| 2021 | 80.14% | +0.8 pp |
| 2020 | 79.31% | -1.7 pp |
| 2019 | 81% | +0.0 pp |
| 2018 | 80.96% | +0.1 pp |
| 2017 | 80.89% | +0.0 pp |
| 2016 | 80.84% | +0.0 pp |
| 2015 | 80.79% | +0.0 pp |
| 2014 | 80.77% | -0.1 pp |
| 2013 | 80.84% | -0.2 pp |
| 2012 | 81.06% | -0.1 pp |
| 2011 | 81.12% | -0.2 pp |
| 2010 | 81.28% | -0.2 pp |
| 2009 | 81.52% | -0.1 pp |
| 2008 | 81.61% | -0.2 pp |
| 2007 | 81.8% | -0.2 pp |
| 2006 | 81.96% | -0.2 pp |
| 2005 | 82.17% | -0.3 pp |
| 2004 | 82.44% | -0.2 pp |
| 2003 | 82.67% | -0.3 pp |
| 2002 | 82.94% | -0.2 pp |
| 2001 | 83.18% | -0.2 pp |
| 2000 | 83.37% | -0.2 pp |
| 1999 | 83.6% | -0.1 pp |
| 1998 | 83.67% | -0.1 pp |
| 1997 | 83.8% | -0.1 pp |
| 1996 | 83.89% | -0.2 pp |
| 1995 | 84.1% | +0.1 pp |
| 1994 | 83.96% | +0.5 pp |
| 1993 | 83.42% | +0.4 pp |
| 1992 | 83.02% | +0.6 pp |
| 1991 | 82.39% | +0.6 pp |
| 1990 | 81.79% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Nigeria’s Labor participation in 1991?
82.39% (1991). The full year-by-year table above lists every published year, most recent first.
Are changes in this series measured in percentage points?
Yes. The series is a share expressed in % of population ages 15+, so year-over-year movements in the Change column are percentage points (pp), not percent.
Is Nigeria’s Labor participation growing or shrinking?
Between 1990 and 2025 the series was growing overall: +0.9% in total.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator SL.TLF.CACT.ZS. Values are reproduced as published; this page only computes summary statistics such as change, CAGR and extremes.
What are the most recent published figures?
The last five published years: 2025: 82.52%; 2024: 82.57%; 2023: 82.56%; 2022: 81.27%; 2021: 80.14%. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
SL.TLF.CACT.ZS — Labor Force Participation Rate. Data licensed under CC BY 4.0. Values are reproduced as published; this page computes the summary statistics (change, CAGR, extremes) from the underlying annual series. View the original dataset on data.worldbank.org.