Labor force — all countries

Labor force — Western Africa

Labor force in Western Africa in 2025 — 203,192,293 people. Since 1990, the indicator has risen by 166.8%.

2025 203M people +2.93% vs 2024
World rank
Period maximum 203M people2025
Period minimum 76.17M people1990

Trend over time

1990–2025 · people

Labor force — Western Africa, 1990–202550M100M150M200M250M19901994199820022006201020142018202220251990: 76,167,315 people1991: 78,597,786 people1992: 81,243,660 people1993: 83,885,785 people1994: 86,688,190 people1995: 89,346,274 people1996: 91,844,137 people1997: 94,504,289 people1998: 97,268,943 people1999: 100,114,921 people2000: 102,843,681 people2001: 105,673,187 people2002: 108,536,152 people2003: 111,372,277 people2004: 114,326,627 people2005: 117,266,826 people2006: 120,285,689 people2007: 123,372,575 people2008: 126,592,736 people2009: 130,033,207 people2010: 133,445,013 people2011: 137,046,075 people2012: 140,661,636 people2013: 144,115,075 people2014: 147,589,041 people2015: 151,452,637 people2016: 155,955,643 people2017: 159,814,466 people2018: 164,232,716 people2019: 168,721,635 people2020: 170,855,945 people2021: 177,510,636 people2022: 184,578,720 people2023: 191,735,686 people2024: 197,402,136 people2025: 203,192,293 people
Change over the period: +127M (+166.77%) Average annual rate: 2.84 %

Comparison, 2025

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Western Africa

Western Africa 203M people
World 3.74B people
Labor force — Western Africa, by year Western Africa All countries CSV XLSX
Year people Change Change, %
2025 203M +5.79M +2.93%
2024 197M +5.67M +2.96%
2023 192M +7.16M +3.88%
2022 185M +7.07M +3.98%
2021 178M +6.65M +3.89%
2020 171M +2.13M +1.26%
2019 169M +4.49M +2.73%
2018 164M +4.42M +2.76%
2017 160M +3.86M +2.47%
2016 156M +4.5M +2.97%
2015 151M +3.86M +2.62%
2014 148M +3.47M +2.41%
2013 144M +3.45M +2.46%
2012 141M +3.62M +2.64%
2011 137M +3.6M +2.7%
2010 133M +3.41M +2.62%
2009 130M +3.44M +2.72%
2008 127M +3.22M +2.61%
2007 123M +3.09M +2.57%
2006 120M +3.02M +2.57%
2005 117M +2.94M +2.57%
2004 114M +2.95M +2.65%
2003 111M +2.84M +2.61%
2002 109M +2.86M +2.71%
2001 106M +2.83M +2.75%
2000 103M +2.73M +2.73%
1999 100M +2.85M +2.93%
1998 97.27M +2.76M +2.93%
1997 94.5M +2.66M +2.9%
1996 91.84M +2.5M +2.8%
1995 89.35M +2.66M +3.07%
1994 86.69M +2.8M +3.34%
1993 83.89M +2.64M +3.25%
1992 81.24M +2.65M +3.37%
1991 78.6M +2.43M +3.19%
1990 76.17M

About the indicator

The economically active population — everyone aged 15 and over who either works or actively looks for work. It covers the employed, the unemployed and first-time job seekers; it leaves out students, homemakers and other people who do not offer their labor on the market. The size of the labor force is the basic constraint on the growth potential of an economy.

Source: ILOSTAT (ILO), license CC BY 4.0.