Labour share of GDP (%) in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Labour share of GDP (%) was 50.3% in 2025. ▬ Flat
Latest (2025)
50.3%
Change on year
down 0.2%
Rank
19th
of 35 groups
All-time high
51.6%
in 2019
All-time low
48.2%
in 2008
Years of data
22
2004–2025
Labour share of GDP in Sub-Saharan Africa, 2004–2025
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for labour share of gdp in Sub-Saharan Africa is 50.3%, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of down 0.2% on the previous year and down 0.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labour share of gdp in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 51.6% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 48.2%, in 2008.
That places Sub-Saharan Africa 19th out of 35 groups with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
Labour share of GDP (%) in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 49.2% | — |
| 2005 | 48.8% | -0.8% |
| 2006 | 48.8% | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 48.4% | -0.8% |
| 2008 | 48.2% | -0.4% |
| 2009 | 49.7% | +3.1% |
| 2010 | 49.1% | -1.2% |
| 2011 | 49.3% | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 50.1% | +1.6% |
| 2013 | 50.4% | +0.6% |
| 2014 | 50.6% | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 50.6% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 49.8% | -1.6% |
| 2017 | 50.8% | +2.0% |
| 2018 | 51.1% | +0.6% |
| 2019 | 51.6% | +1.0% |
| 2020 | 51.2% | -0.8% |
| 2021 | 51.2% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 50.4% | -1.6% |
| 2023 | 50.6% | +0.4% |
| 2024 | 50.4% | -0.4% |
| 2025 | 50.3% | -0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 48.9% | 48.2% | 49.7% | 6 |
| 2010s | 50.3% | 49.1% | 51.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 50.7% | 50.3% | 51.2% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
More economy & growth data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- SDR Allocation, SDR, per capita 18.87 units per person (2025)
- IMF holdings of currency, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0103 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Lending to the IMF (GRA), SDR, per capita 0 units per person (2025)
- SDR Allocation, US dollar, annual growth rate 5.01 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDR Allocation, US dollar, per unit of GDP 0.0154 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- SDR Allocation, US dollar, per capita 25.84 units per person (2025)
- SDR Allocation, SDR, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- SDR Allocation, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0113 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- IMF Quota, SDR, per unit of GDP 0.0076 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- IMF Quota, SDR, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labour share of gdp in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Labour share of gdp in Sub-Saharan Africa was 50.3% in 2025, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest labour share of gdp recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 51.6% in 2019.
- What is the lowest labour share of gdp recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 48.2% in 2008.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for labour share of gdp?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 19th out of 35 groups with data for 2025.
- Is labour share of gdp rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Labour share of GDP (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 22 observations, free to reuse under UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested).