Total employment in Africa 2020, by region and area of residence
The majority of the people employed in Africa are from rural areas. In 2020, the rural population in employment amounted to around 291 million, against 160 million living in urban areas. At a regional level, Southern Africa represented the only exception, with the prevalence of people from urban areas. In Eastern Africa, the region counting the highest number of individuals in employment, there were only 36 working people from rural areas in every 100 workers living in urban agglomerations. A total of over 529 million people were employed in Africa in 2024.
