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Indicators · People and labour

Working-age population

Share of the population aged 15 to 64.

Why it matters

A rising working-age share can lift growth and savings if jobs keep pace. It also indicates the labour pool available to employers.

Read with care

Only an opportunity if education and jobs follow; otherwise it shows up as youth unemployment.

Source

World Bank

% of population. 54 African countries, 1990 to 2025.

Working age: highest in Seychelles, lowest in DRC

Working-age population, % of population. Latest year available, 2025. 16 of 16 countries have data.

55%
60%
65%
70%
No data
Loading map…
Source: World Bank· Get the data (Professional)·dotzedw Insights Centre

Ranked: working ageiWhy it mattersA rising working-age share can lift growth and savings if jobs keep pace. It also indicates the labour pool available to employers.

Click a country to highlight it.

0%20%40%60%80%Seychelles71.5%Mauritius71.3%South Africa67.4%Botswana64.0%Eswatini62.7%Lesotho62.0%Namibia59.6%Comoros58.7%Madagascar57.6%Malawi57.3%Zambia57.0%Zimbabwe56.2%Tanzania54.6%Mozambique53.1%Angola53.0%DRC51.0%median 58.1%
dotzedw Insights Centre
How spread out SADC is
Median 58.1%Lowest: DRC 51.0%Highest: Seychelles 71.5%

Over time

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Working-age population against income per person

Each bubble is a SADC country, sized by population. Dashed lines mark the SADC medians. Countries far from the pattern are worth a closer look.

0.0%20.0%40.0%60.0%80.0%$1,000$3,000$10kGDP per person, US$ (log scale)Working ageDRCTanzaniaSouth AfricaAngolaMadagascarNamibiaBotswanaMauritius
Source: World Bank, World Bank·dotzedw Insights Centre

Table

The same figures as the map, for screen readers and copying.
RankCountryValueYearFive-year changeGradeDetails
1Seychelles71.5%2025down 0.3 points since 2020A
2Mauritius71.3%2025down 0.9 points since 2020A
3South Africa67.4%2025up 0.5 points since 2020A
4Botswana64.0%2025up 0.7 points since 2020A
5Eswatini62.7%2025up 1.2 point since 2020A
6Lesotho62.0%2025up 1.6 point since 2020A
7Namibia59.6%2025up 0.3 points since 2020A
8Comoros58.7%2025up 1.4 point since 2020A
9Madagascar57.6%2025up 1.1 point since 2020A
10Malawi57.3%2025up 3.1 points since 2020A
11Zambia57.0%2025up 2.2 points since 2020A
12Zimbabwe56.2%2025up 1.9 point since 2020A
13Tanzania54.6%2025up 1.0 point since 2020A
14Mozambique53.1%2025up 1.1 point since 2020A
15Angola53.0%2025up 0.8 points since 2020A
16DRC51.0%2025little changed since 2020A