SDG indicator 5.5.2: Proportion of women in managerial positions in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: SDG indicator 5.5.2: Proportion of women in managerial positions was 44.63 in 2025. ▲ Rising
SDG indicator 5.5.2: Proportion of women in managerial positions in Sub-Saharan Africa, 2000–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
Sub-Saharan Africa recorded 44.63 for sdg indicator 5.5.2: proportion of women in managerial positions in 2025. That is the highest value across all 26 years on record.
The figure is up 1.0% on the previous year and up 20.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, sdg indicator 5.5.2: proportion of women in managerial positions in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 44.63 in 2025 and was at its lowest, 27.32, in 2001.
That places Sub-Saharan Africa 6th out of 87 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 26 years of available data.
SDG indicator 5.5.2: Proportion of women in managerial positions in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 27.36 | — |
| 2001 | 27.32 | -0.1% |
| 2002 | 28.48 | +4.2% |
| 2003 | 28.69 | +0.8% |
| 2004 | 29.07 | +1.3% |
| 2005 | 30.21 | +3.9% |
| 2006 | 30.93 | +2.4% |
| 2007 | 31.96 | +3.3% |
| 2008 | 32.35 | +1.2% |
| 2009 | 32.77 | +1.3% |
| 2010 | 33.32 | +1.7% |
| 2011 | 34.16 | +2.5% |
| 2012 | 35.02 | +2.5% |
| 2013 | 35.6 | +1.7% |
| 2014 | 36.52 | +2.6% |
| 2015 | 36.93 | +1.1% |
| 2016 | 37.54 | +1.7% |
| 2017 | 38.12 | +1.6% |
| 2018 | 38.12 | -0.0% |
| 2019 | 38.23 | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 41.16 | +7.7% |
| 2021 | 41.43 | +0.7% |
| 2022 | 42.97 | +3.7% |
| 2023 | 43.76 | +1.8% |
| 2024 | 44.17 | +0.9% |
| 2025 | 44.63 | +1.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 29.91 | 27.32 | 32.77 | 10 |
| 2010s | 36.36 | 33.32 | 38.23 | 10 |
| 2020s | 43.02 | 41.16 | 44.63 | 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 sdg indicator 5.5.2: proportion of women in managerial positions in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Sdg indicator 5.5.2: proportion of women in managerial positions in Sub-Saharan Africa was 44.63 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest sdg indicator 5.5.2: proportion of women in managerial positions recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 44.63 in 2025.
- What is the lowest sdg indicator 5.5.2: proportion of women in managerial positions recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 27.32 in 2001.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for sdg indicator 5.5.2: proportion of women in managerial positions?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 6th out of 87 groups with data for 2025.
- Is sdg indicator 5.5.2: proportion of women in managerial positions rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 20.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of SDG indicator 5.5.2: Proportion of women in managerial positions (previous ILO definition - ICLS13). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 26 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).
About this data
Data may differ from nationally reported figures and the Global SDG Indicators Database due to differences in sources and/or reference years. The female share of employment in managerial positions conveys the number of women in management as a percentage of employment in management. Employment in management is defined based on the International Standard Classification of Occupations. This series refers to total management (category 1 of ISCO-08 or ISCO-88). There is another series referring to senior and middle management only, thus excluding junior management (category 1 in both ISCO-08 and ISCO-88 minus category 14 in ISCO-08 and minus category 13 in ISCO-88). This indicator is calculated based on data on employment by sex and occupation. For more information, refer to the Labour Market-related SDG Indicators (ILOSDG) database description.