Nigeria — Unemployment
Unemployment Rate for Nigeria, 1991–2025.
Unemployment for Nigeria was 3.06% in 2025, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 35 years, from 1991 to 2025. The highest recorded value was 5.71% in 2020. The lowest was 3.04% in 2024 (about 1.0× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to -0.65% per year.
Nigeria ranks 144 of 187 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 77%. The median for Sub-Saharan Africa is 5.45%, so Nigeria sits below it. It peaked in 2020 and has fallen 46% since. Over the last decade (2015–2025) the figure moved down 26%. Within Sub-Saharan Africa it ranks 33 of 47 economies; Madagascar (3.04%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was down 29% in 2022. That is 30% below this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
World ranking. Slipped: 118th of 187 in 1991 → 140th of 187 in 2000 → 144th of 187 in 2010 → 106th of 187 in 2020 → 139th of 182 in 2025.
Key figures
Full history — 1991 to 2025
| Year | % of total labor force | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3.06% | +0.0 pp |
| 2024 | 3.05% | -0.0 pp |
| 2023 | 3.07% | -0.8 pp |
| 2022 | 3.83% | -1.6 pp |
| 2021 | 5.4% | -0.3 pp |
| 2020 | 5.71% | +0.5 pp |
| 2019 | 5.21% | +0.1 pp |
| 2018 | 5.07% | +0.2 pp |
| 2017 | 4.83% | +0.3 pp |
| 2016 | 4.5% | +0.4 pp |
| 2015 | 4.13% | +0.2 pp |
| 2014 | 3.9% | +0.2 pp |
| 2013 | 3.71% | -0.1 pp |
| 2012 | 3.76% | -0.0 pp |
| 2011 | 3.77% | +0.0 pp |
| 2010 | 3.74% | -0.0 pp |
| 2009 | 3.76% | -0.0 pp |
| 2008 | 3.79% | -0.0 pp |
| 2007 | 3.79% | +0.0 pp |
| 2006 | 3.75% | +0.0 pp |
| 2005 | 3.73% | +0.1 pp |
| 2004 | 3.59% | -0.0 pp |
| 2003 | 3.64% | -0.0 pp |
| 2002 | 3.67% | -0.2 pp |
| 2001 | 3.9% | -0.1 pp |
| 2000 | 3.95% | -0.0 pp |
| 1999 | 3.99% | +0.1 pp |
| 1998 | 3.92% | -0.0 pp |
| 1997 | 3.96% | -0.1 pp |
| 1996 | 4.04% | -0.1 pp |
| 1995 | 4.15% | +0.1 pp |
| 1994 | 4.06% | +0.0 pp |
| 1993 | 4.02% | +0.2 pp |
| 1992 | 3.79% | -0.0 pp |
| 1991 | 3.83% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was Nigeria’s Unemployment in 1992?
3.79% (1992). 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 total labor force, so year-over-year movements in the Change column are percentage points (pp), not percent.
Is Nigeria’s Unemployment growing or shrinking?
Between 1991 and 2025 the series was shrinking overall: -20.0% in total — about 0.7% a year compounded.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator SL.UEM.TOTL.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: 3.06%; 2024: 3.05%; 2023: 3.07%; 2022: 3.83%; 2021: 5.4%. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS — Unemployment 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.