Nigeria's unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) (national estimate) was 5.45% in 2024, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is down 2.68 percentage points from 8.13% in 2014.
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | 5.45% | 2024 |
| Five years earlier | 9.23% | 2019 |
| Ten years earlier | 8.13% | 2014 |
| Highest | 15.35% | 1986 |
| Lowest | 5.18% | 2023 |
| Average since 2015 | 8.53% | 2015–2024 |
| First recorded | 15.35% | 1986 |
How it compares
In 2024, Nigeria had the 20th highest value of the 21 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Nigeria | 5.45% | 2024 |
| Lower middle income | 13.51% | 2024 |
Closest to Nigeria in the 2024 ranking
- Bangladesh — 17th of 21: 9.63%
- Philippines — 18th of 21: 8.04%
- Viet Nam — 19th of 21: 6.41%
- Qatar — 21st of 21: 0.53%
What this measures
Youth unemployment refers to the share of the labor force ages 15-24 without work but available for and seeking employment. Definitions of labor force and unemployment differ by country.
Limitations: The criteria for people considered to be seeking work, and the treatment of people temporarily laid off or seeking work for the first time, vary across countries. In many cases it is especially difficult to measure employment and unemployment in agriculture. The timing of a survey can maximize the effects of seasonal unemployment in agriculture. And informal sector employment is difficult to quantify where informal activities are not tracked.
Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.
All 11 values
| Year | Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) (national estimate) |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 5.45 |
| 2023 | 5.18 |
| 2022 | 6.06 |
| 2021 | no data |
| 2020 | no data |
| 2019 | 9.23 |
| 2018 | no data |
| 2017 | 13.8 |
| 2016 | 12.36 |
| 2015 | 7.66 |
Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) (national estimate) in nearby economies
More social protection & labor data for Nigeria
- Net migration — -15,258 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of asylum — 123,848 (2025)
- Refugees under the mandate of the UNHCR by country or territory of origin — 478,150 (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 64.9% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 64.68% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) (modeled ILO estimate) — 64.78% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15-64) (modeled ILO estimate) — 81.9% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) (modeled ILO estimate)
Reading data like this
Questions people ask
- What is Nigeria's unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) (national estimate)?
- 5.45% in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 1986?
- It is down 9.9 percentage points from 15.35% in 1986. The highest value was 15.35% in 1986 and the lowest 5.18% in 2023.
- How does Nigeria rank?
- 20th highest of 21 economies with data for 2024.
- Where does this data come from?
- The World Bank's World Development Indicators, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), uri: https://ilostat.ilo.org/data/bulk/, publisher: ILOSTAT, type: external database, date accessed: September 28, 2026.
Source
World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SL.UEM.1524.NE.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), uri: https://ilostat.ilo.org/data/bulk/, publisher: ILOSTAT, type: external database, date accessed: September 28, 2026 Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.
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