Afghanistan - Labor force, total

The value for Labor force, total in Afghanistan was 9,695,428 as of 2021. As the graph below shows, over the past 31 years this indicator reached a maximum value of 10,382,030 in 2019 and a minimum value of 3,005,194 in 1990.

Definition: Labor force comprises people ages 15 and older who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period. It includes people who are currently employed and people who are unemployed but seeking work as well as first-time job-seekers. Not everyone who works is included, however. Unpaid workers, family workers, and students are often omitted, and some countries do not count members of the armed forces. Labor force size tends to vary during the year as seasonal workers enter and leave.

Source: Derived using data from International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT database and World Bank population estimates. Labor data retrieved in September 2019.

See also:

Year Value
1990 3,005,194
1991 3,226,846
1992 3,520,843
1993 3,845,635
1994 4,153,754
1995 4,418,899
1996 4,571,874
1997 4,665,749
1998 4,735,482
1999 4,823,574
2000 4,955,262
2001 5,169,671
2002 5,437,894
2003 5,735,551
2004 6,030,160
2005 6,301,944
2006 6,460,963
2007 6,591,408
2008 6,716,593
2009 6,867,773
2010 7,065,700
2011 7,375,529
2012 7,742,558
2013 8,136,567
2014 8,544,021
2015 8,948,053
2016 9,314,885
2017 9,670,662
2018 10,022,140
2019 10,382,030
2020 9,416,829
2021 9,695,428

Statistical Concept and Methodology: The labor force is the supply of labor available for producing goods and services in an economy. It includes people who are currently employed and people who are unemployed but seeking work as well as first-time job-seekers. Not everyone who works is included, however. Unpaid workers, family workers, and students are often omitted, and some countries do not count members of the armed forces. Labor force size tends to vary during the year as seasonal workers enter and leave. Data are generated with World Bank population estimates and ILO estimates on labor force participation rate. The ILO estimates are harmonized to ensure comparability across countries and over time by accounting for differences in data source, scope of coverage, methodology, and other country-specific factors. The estimates are based mainly on nationally representative labor force surveys, with other sources (population censuses and nationally reported estimates) used only when no survey data are available.

Aggregation method: Sum

Periodicity: Annual

General Comments: Data up to 2016 are estimates while data from 2017 are projections.

Classification

Topic: Labor & Social Protection Indicators

Sub-Topic: Labor force structure