Labor force, female in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Labor force, female was 247.09 million in 2025. ▲ Rising
Labor force, female in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1990–2025
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators database. Estimates are based on data obtained from International Labour Organization and United Nations Population Division.
Analysis
In 2025, labor force, female in Sub-Saharan Africa stood at 247.09 million. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.
That represents a change of up 3.0% on the previous year and up 29.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force, female in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 247.09 million in 2025 and was at its lowest, 95.70 million, in 1990.
Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 17th of 48 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 110.42 million | 95.70 million | 125.66 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 146.90 million | 129.32 million | 164.55 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 188.62 million | 168.52 million | 208.73 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 229.66 million | 210.88 million | 247.09 million | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
More gender data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Incidence of HIV, ages 15-49, female 1.12 per 1,000 uninfected female population ages 15-49 (2024)
- Incidence of HIV, ages 15-49, male 0.5884 per 1,000 uninfected male population ages 15-49 (2024)
- Incidence of HIV, ages 15-24, female 1.38 per 1,000 uninfected female population ages 15-24 (2024)
- Incidence of HIV, ages 15-24, male 0.4268 per 1,000 uninfected male population ages 15-24 (2024)
- Ratio of female to male youth unemployment rate (% ages 15-24) 127.7% (2025)
- School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, female 8.85 years (2017)
- School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, male 9.67 years (2017)
- Proportion of women in ministerial level positions 23.1% (2025)
- Own-account workers, female (% of female employment) 46.6% (2016)
- Own-account workers, male (% of male employment) 49.2% (2016)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force, female in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Labor force, female in Sub-Saharan Africa was 247.09 million in 2025, according to World Bank, World Development Indicators database. Estimates are based on data obtained from International Labour Organization and United Nations Population Division.
- What is the highest labor force, female recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 247.09 million in 2025.
- What is the lowest labor force, female recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 95.70 million in 1990.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for labor force, female?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 17th out of 48 groups with data for 2025.
- Is labor force, female rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 29.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa data come from?
- The figures come from World Bank, World Development Indicators database. Estimates are based on data obtained from International Labour Organization and United Nations Population Division, published as part of Labor force, female. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Female labor force comprises women ages 15 and older who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period. It includes people who are currently employed and people who are unemployed but seeking work as well as first-time job-seekers. Not everyone who works is included, however. Unpaid workers, family workers, and students are often omitted, and some countries do not count members of the armed forces. Labor force size tends to vary during the year as seasonal workers enter and leave.