Ratio of female to male youth unemployment rate (% ages 15-24) in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Ratio of female to male youth unemployment rate (% ages 15-24) was 127.7% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Ratio of female to male youth unemployment rate (% ages 15-24) in Sub-Saharan Africa, 1991–2025
Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators database. Estimates are based on data obtained from International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT at https://ilostat.ilo.org/data/.
Analysis
Sub-Saharan Africa recorded 127.7% for ratio of female to male youth unemployment rate (% ages 15-24) in 2025.
The figure is down 3.5% on the previous year and up 12.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, ratio of female to male youth unemployment rate (% ages 15-24) in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 132.3% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 98.5%, in 1994.
That places Sub-Saharan Africa 16th out of 47 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Ratio of female to male youth unemployment rate (% ages 15-24) in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 99.8% | — |
| 1992 | 100.4% | +0.6% |
| 1993 | 99.3% | -1.1% |
| 1994 | 98.5% | -0.8% |
| 1995 | 99.4% | +1.0% |
| 1996 | 100.8% | +1.4% |
| 1997 | 102.2% | +1.4% |
| 1998 | 103.4% | +1.2% |
| 1999 | 104.7% | +1.3% |
| 2000 | 104.3% | -0.4% |
| 2001 | 104.5% | +0.2% |
| 2002 | 106.0% | +1.5% |
| 2003 | 108.0% | +1.9% |
| 2004 | 108.9% | +0.8% |
| 2005 | 109.9% | +1.0% |
| 2006 | 111.2% | +1.1% |
| 2007 | 111.0% | -0.2% |
| 2008 | 110.5% | -0.5% |
| 2009 | 111.2% | +0.7% |
| 2010 | 111.6% | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 110.9% | -0.7% |
| 2012 | 113.9% | +2.8% |
| 2013 | 116.4% | +2.2% |
| 2014 | 113.1% | -2.8% |
| 2015 | 113.8% | +0.6% |
| 2016 | 115.5% | +1.5% |
| 2017 | 113.3% | -1.9% |
| 2018 | 115.1% | +1.6% |
| 2019 | 118.5% | +2.9% |
| 2020 | 127.2% | +7.4% |
| 2021 | 130.4% | +2.5% |
| 2022 | 132.1% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | 131.6% | -0.4% |
| 2024 | 132.3% | +0.6% |
| 2025 | 127.7% | -3.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 100.9% | 98.5% | 104.7% | 9 |
| 2000s | 108.5% | 104.3% | 111.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 114.2% | 110.9% | 118.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 130.2% | 127.2% | 132.3% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
More gender data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 552,879 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth 1.42 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 875,918 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 875,918 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 2.84 % change on previous year (2030)
- Inactivity rate (ILO modelled estimates) 29.77 (2027)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), per capita 0.0004 units per person (2025)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), per capita 0.0006 units per person (2025)
- Labor force, female 247.09 million (2025)
- Labor force, female, per capita 0.187 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is ratio of female to male youth unemployment rate (% ages 15-24) in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Ratio of female to male youth unemployment rate (% ages 15-24) in Sub-Saharan Africa was 127.7% in 2025, according to World Bank, World Development Indicators database. Estimates are based on data obtained from International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT at https://ilostat.ilo.org/data/.
- What is the highest ratio of female to male youth unemployment rate (% ages 15-24) recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 132.3% in 2024.
- What is the lowest ratio of female to male youth unemployment rate (% ages 15-24) recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 98.5% in 1994.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for ratio of female to male youth unemployment rate (% ages 15-24)?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 16th out of 47 groups with data for 2025.
- Is ratio of female to male youth unemployment rate (% ages 15-24) rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.2%. 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, ILOSTAT at https://ilostat.ilo.org/data/, published as part of Ratio of female to male youth unemployment rate (% ages 15-24) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Ratio of female to male youth unemployment is the percentage of female to male youth unemployment rates.