Developmentrelevance:
Sectoral information is particularly useful in identifying broad shifts in employment and stages of development. In the textbook case of economic development, labour flows from agriculture and other labour-intensive primary activities to industry and finally to the services sector; in the process, workers migrate from rural to urban areas.

The breakdown of the indicator by sex allows for analysis of gender segregation of employment by specific sector. Women may be drawn into lower-paying service activities that allow for more flexible work schedules thus making it easier to balance family responsibilities with work life. Segregation of women in certain sectors may also result from cultural attitudes that prevent them from entering industrial employment.

Segregating one sex in a narrow range of occupations significantly reduces economic efficiency by reducing labor market flexibility and thus the economy's ability to adapt to change. This segregation is particularly harmful for women, who have a much narrower range of labor market choices and lower levels of pay than men. But it is also detrimental to men when job losses are concentrated in industries dominated by men and job growth is centered in service occupations, where women have better chances, as has been the recent experience in many countries.

IndicatorName: Employment in industry, female (% of female employment) (modeled ILO estimate)

Limitationsandexceptions:
There are many differences in how countries define and measure employment status, particularly members of the armed forces, self-employed workers, and unpaid family workers. Where members of the armed forces are included, they are allocated to the service sector, causing that sector to be somewhat overstated relative to the service sector in economies where they are excluded. Where data are obtained from establishment surveys, data cover only employees; thus self-employed and unpaid family workers are excluded. In such cases the employment share of the agricultural sector is severely underreported. Caution should be also used where the data refer only to urban areas, which record little or no agricultural work. Moreover, the age group and area covered could differ by country or change over time within a country. For detailed information, consult the original source.

Countries also take different approaches to the treatment of unemployed people. In most countries unemployed people with previous job experience are classified according to their last job. But in some countries the unemployed and people seeking their first job are not classifiable by economic activity. Because of these differences, the size and distribution of employment by economic activity may not be fully comparable across countries.

The ILO reports data by major divisions of the ISIC revision 2, revision 3, or revision 4. Broad classification such as employment by agriculture, industry, and services may obscure fundamental shifts within countries' industrial patterns. A slight majority of countries report economic activity according to the ISIC revision 3 instead of revision 2 or revision 4. The use of one classification or the other should not have a significant impact on the information for the employment of the three broad sectors data.

Longdefinition: Employment is defined as persons of working age who were engaged in any activity to produce goods or provide services for pay or profit, whether at work during the reference period or not at work due to temporary absence from a job, or to working-time arrangement. The industry sector consists of mining and quarrying, manufacturing, construction, and public utilities (electricity, gas, and water), in accordance with divisions 2-5 (ISIC 2) or categories C-F (ISIC 3) or categories B-F (ISIC 4).


Aggregationmethod: Weighted average

IndicatorName: Employment in industry, male (% of male employment) (modeled ILO estimate)

License_Type: CC BY-4.0

Notesfromoriginalsource: Given the exceptional situation, including the scarcity of relevant data, the  ILO modeled estimates and projections from 2020 onwards are subject to substantial uncertainty.

Periodicity: Annual

Source: International Labour Organization. “ILO modelled estimates database” ILOSTAT. Accessed February 07, 2024. https://ilostat.ilo.org/data/.

Statisticalconceptandmethodology:
The International Labour Organization (ILO) classifies economic activity using the International Standard Industrial Classification (ISIC) of All Economic Activities, revision 2 (1968), revision 3 (1990), and revision 4 (2008). Because this classification is based on where work is performed (industry) rather than type of work performed (occupation), all of an enterprise's employees are classified under the same industry, regardless of their trade or occupation. The categories should sum to 100 percent. Where they do not, the differences are due to workers who are not classified by economic activity.

The series is part of the "ILO modeled estimates database," including nationally reported observations and imputed data for countries with missing data, primarily to capture regional and global trends with consistent country coverage. Country-reported microdata is based mainly on nationally representative labor force surveys, with other sources (e.g., household surveys and population censuses) considering differences in the data source, the scope of coverage, methodology, and other country-specific factors. Country analysis requires caution where limited nationally reported data are available. A series of models are also applied to impute missing observations and make projections. However, imputed observations are not based on national data, are subject to high uncertainty, and should not be used for country comparisons or rankings. For more information: https://ilostat.ilo.org/resources/concepts-and-definitions/ilo-modelled-estimates/

Topic: Employment and Time Use


IndicatorName: Employment in industry (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate)


Generalcomments: Harmonized series

IndicatorName: Informal employment, female (% of total non-agricultural employment)

Limitationsandexceptions: There are limitations for comparing data across countries and over time even within a country, due to differences in definitions and methodology of data collection. For example, informal sector enterprises refer to non-registered enterprises in some countries but registration requirements can vary from country to country. Others apply the employment size criterion only (which may vary from country to country). For detailed information on definitions and coverage, see footnotes.

Longdefinition: Employment in the informal economy as a percentage of total non-agricultural employment. It basically includes all jobs in unregistered and/or small-scale private unincorporated enterprises that produce goods or services meant for sale or barter. Self-employed street vendors, taxi drivers and home-base workers, regardless of size, are all considered enterprises. However, agricultural and related activities, households producing goods exclusively for their own use (e.g. subsistence farming, domestic housework, care work, and employment of paid domestic workers), and volunteer services rendered to the community are excluded.

Source: International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT database. Data as of September 2020.

Statisticalconceptandmethodology: There are wide variations in definitions and methodology of data collection. In addition to employment in the informal economy, informal employment within the formal sector should be also taken into account. Casual, short term, and seasonal workers, for example, could be informally employed — lacking social protection, health benefits, legal status, rights and freedom of association. Some countries now provide data according to the guidelines, adopted by the 17th International Conference of Labour Statisticians (2003); Informal employment as the total number of informal jobs, whether carried out in formal sector enterprises, informal sector enterprises, or households, during a given reference period.


IndicatorName: Informal employment, male (% of total non-agricultural employment)


IndicatorName: Employment in services, female (% of female employment) (modeled ILO estimate)

Limitationsandexceptions:
There are many differences in how countries define and measure employment status, particularly members of the armed forces, self-employed workers, and unpaid family workers. Where members of the armed forces are included, they are allocated to the service sector, causing that sector to be somewhat overstated relative to the service sector in economies where they are excluded. Where data are obtained from establishment surveys, data cover only employees; thus self-employed and unpaid family workers are excluded. In such cases the employment share of the agricultural sector is severely underreported. Caution should be also used where the data refer only to urban areas, which record little or no agricultural work. Moreover, the age group and area covered could differ by country or change over time within a country. For detailed information, consult the original source.

Countries also take different approaches to the treatment of unemployed people. In most countries unemployed people with previous job experience are classified according to their last job. But in some countries the unemployed and people seeking their first job are not classifiable by economic activity. Because of these differences, the size and distribution of employment by economic activity may not be fully comparable across countries.

The ILO reports data by major divisions of the ISIC revision 2, revision 3, or revision 4. Broad classification such as employment by agriculture, industry, and services may obscure fundamental shifts within countries' industrial patterns. A slight majority of countries report economic activity according to the ISIC revision 3 instead of revision 2 or revision 4. The use of one classification or the other should not have a significant impact on the information for the employment of three broad sectors data.

Longdefinition: Employment is defined as persons of working age who were engaged in any activity to produce goods or provide services for pay or profit, whether at work during the reference period or not at work due to temporary absence from a job, or to working-time arrangement. The services sector consists of wholesale and retail trade and restaurants and hotels; transport, storage, and communications; financing, insurance, real estate, and business services; and community, social, and personal services, in accordance with divisions 6-9 (ISIC 2) or categories G-Q (ISIC 3) or categories G-U (ISIC 4).


IndicatorName: Employment in services, male (% of male employment) (modeled ILO estimate)


IndicatorName: Employment in services (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate)


Developmentrelevance: In most countries more boys are involved in employment, or the gender difference is small. However, girls are often more present in hidden or underreported forms of employment such as domestic service, and in almost all societies girls bear greater responsibility for household chores in their own homes, work that lies outside the System of National Accounts production boundary and is thus not considered in estimates of children's employment.

IndicatorName: Children in employment, female (% of female children ages 7-14)

Limitationsandexceptions: Although efforts are made to harmonize the definition of employment and the questions on employment in survey questionnaires, significant differences remain in the survey instruments that collect data on children in employment and in the sampling design underlying the surveys. Differences exist not only across different household surveys in the same country but also across the same type of survey carried out in different countries, so estimates of working children are not fully comparable across countries. For detailed source information, see footnotes at each data point.

Longdefinition: Children in employment refer to children involved in economic activity for at least one hour in the reference week of the survey.

Source: Understanding Children's Work project based on data from ILO, UNICEF and the World Bank.

Statisticalconceptandmethodology:
Data are from household surveys by the International Labor Organization (ILO), the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the World Bank, and national statistical offices. The surveys yield data on education, employment, health, expenditure, and consumption indicators related to children's work. Since children's work is captured in the sense of "economic activity," the data refer to children in employment, a broader concept than child labor (see ILO 2009a for details on this distinction).

Household survey data generally include information on work type - for example, whether a child is working for payment in cash or in kind or is involved in unpaid work, working for someone who is not a member of the household, or involved in any type of family work (on the farm or in a business).

In line with the definition of economic activity adopted by the 13th International Conference of Labour Statisticians, the threshold set by the 1993 UN System of National Accounts for classifying a person as employed is to have been engaged at least one hour in any activity relating to the production of goods and services during the reference period. Children seeking work are thus excluded. Economic activity covers all market production and certain nonmarket production, including production of goods for own use. It excludes unpaid household services (commonly called "household chores") - that is, the production of domestic and personal services by household members for a household's own consumption.

Country surveys define the ages for child labor as 5-17. The data here have been recalculated to present statistics for children ages 7-14.


IndicatorName: Children in employment, male (% of male children ages 7-14)


IndicatorName: Children in employment, total (% of children ages 7-14)


Developmentrelevance: Estimates of women in the labor force and employment are generally lower than those of men and are not comparable internationally, reflecting that demographic, social, legal, and cultural trends and norms determine whether women's activities are regarded as economic. In many low-income countries women often work on farms or in other family enterprises without pay, and others work in or near their homes, mixing work and family activities during the day. In many high-income economies, women have been increasingly acquiring higher education that has led to better-compensated, longer-term careers rather than lower-skilled, shorter-term jobs. However, access to good- paying occupations for women remains unequal in many occupations and countries around the world. Labor force statistics by gender is important to monitor gender disparities in employment and unemployment patterns.

Generalcomments: The series for ILO estimates is also available in the WDI database. Caution should be used when comparing ILO estimates with national estimates.

IndicatorName: Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) (national estimate)

Limitationsandexceptions:
Data on the labor force are compiled by the ILO from labor force surveys, censuses, and establishment censuses and surveys. For some countries a combination of these sources is used. Labor force surveys are the most comprehensive source for internationally comparable labor force data. They can cover all non-institutionalized civilians, all branches and sectors of the economy, and all categories of workers, including people holding multiple jobs. By contrast, labor force data from population censuses are often based on a limited number of questions on the economic characteristics of individuals, with little scope to probe. The resulting data often differ from labor force survey data and vary considerably by country, depending on the census scope and coverage. Establishment censuses and surveys provide data only on the employed population, not unemployed workers, workers in small establishments, or workers in the informal sector.

The reference period of a census or survey is another important source of differences: in some countries data refer to people's status on the day of the census or survey or during a specific period before the inquiry date, while in others data are recorded without reference to any period. In countries, where the household is the basic unit of production and all members contribute to output, but some at low intensity or irregularly, the estimated labor force may be much smaller than the numbers actually working.

Differing definitions of employment age also affect comparability. For most countries the working age is 15 and older, but in some countries children younger than 15 work full- or part-time and are included in the estimates. Similarly, some countries have an upper age limit. As a result, calculations may systematically over- or underestimate actual rates.

Longdefinition: Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24 is the proportion of the population ages 15-24 that is economically active: all people who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period.

Source: International Labour Organization. “Labour Force Statistics database (LFS)” ILOSTAT. Accessed October 16, 2024. https://ilostat.ilo.org/data/.

Statisticalconceptandmethodology: 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.


Generalcomments: National estimates are also available in the WDI database. Caution should be used when comparing ILO estimates with national estimates.

IndicatorName: Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) (modeled ILO estimate)

Source: International Labour Organization. “ILO Modelled Estimates and Projections database (ILOEST)” ILOSTAT. Accessed February 06, 2024. https://ilostat.ilo.org/data/.

Statisticalconceptandmethodology:
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.

The series is part of the "ILO modeled estimates database," including nationally reported observations and imputed data for countries with missing data, primarily to capture regional and global trends with consistent country coverage. Country-reported microdata is based mainly on nationally representative labor force surveys, with other sources (e.g., household surveys and population censuses) considering differences in the data source, the scope of coverage, methodology, and other country-specific factors. Country analysis requires caution where limited nationally reported data are available. A series of models are also applied to impute missing observations and make projections. However, imputed observations are not based on national data, are subject to high uncertainty, and should not be used for country comparisons or rankings. For more information: https://ilostat.ilo.org/resources/concepts-and-definitions/ilo-modelled-estimates/


IndicatorName: Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) (national estimate)


IndicatorName: Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) (modeled ILO estimate)


IndicatorName: Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) (national estimate)


IndicatorName: Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) (modeled ILO estimate)


IndicatorName: Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15-64) (modeled ILO estimate)

Longdefinition: Labor force participation rate is the proportion of the population ages 15-64 that is economically active: all people who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period.

Source: International Labour Organization. “ILO modelled estimates database” ILOSTAT. Accessed February 06, 2024. https://ilostat.ilo.org/data/.


IndicatorName: Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) (modeled ILO estimate)


IndicatorName: Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15-64) (modeled ILO estimate)


IndicatorName: Labor force with advanced education, female (% of female working-age population with advanced education)

Longdefinition: The ratio of the labor force with advanced education to the working-age population with advanced education. Advanced education comprises short-cycle tertiary education, a bachelor’s degree or equivalent education level, a master’s degree or equivalent education level, or doctoral degree or equivalent education level according to the International Standard Classification of Education 2011 (ISCED 2011).

Source: International Labour Organization. “Education and Mismatch Indicators database (EMI)” ILOSTAT. Accessed October 16, 2024. https://ilostat.ilo.org/data/.


IndicatorName: Labor force with advanced education, male (% of male working-age population with advanced education)


IndicatorName: Labor force with advanced education (% of total working-age population with advanced education)


IndicatorName: Labor force with basic education, female (% of female working-age population with basic education)

Longdefinition: The ratio of the labor force with basic education to the working-age population with basic education. Basic education comprises primary education or lower secondary education according to the International Standard Classification of Education 2011 (ISCED 2011).


IndicatorName: Labor force with basic education, male (% of male working-age population with basic education)


IndicatorName: Labor force with basic education (% of total working-age population with basic education)


IndicatorName: Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15+) (national estimate)

Longdefinition: Labor force participation rate is the proportion of the population ages 15 and older that is economically active: all people who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period.


IndicatorName: Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15+) (modeled ILO estimate)


IndicatorName: Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) (national estimate)

Longdefinition: Labor force participation rate is the proportion of the population ages 15 and older that is economically active: all people who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period. Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate is calculated by dividing female labor force participation rate by male labor force participation rate and multiplying by 100.

Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators database. Estimates are based on data obtained from International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT at https://ilostat.ilo.org/data/.


IndicatorName: Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) (modeled ILO estimate)


IndicatorName: Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) (national estimate)


IndicatorName: Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) (modeled ILO estimate)


IndicatorName: Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) (national estimate)


IndicatorName: Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) (modeled ILO estimate)


IndicatorName: Labor force with intermediate education, female (% of female working-age population with intermediate education)

Longdefinition: The ratio of the labor force with intermediate education to the working-age population with intermediate education. Intermediate education comprises upper secondary or post-secondary non tertiary education according to the International Standard Classification of Education 2011 (ISCED 2011).


IndicatorName: Labor force with intermediate education, male (% of male working-age population with intermediate education)


IndicatorName: Labor force with intermediate education (% of total working-age population with intermediate education)


Generalcomments: Relevance to gender indicator: More and more women are working part-time and one of the concern is that part time work does not provide the stability that full time work does.

IndicatorName: Part time employment, female (% of total female employment)

Longdefinition: Part time employment refers to regular employment in which working time is substantially less than normal. Definitions of part time employment differ by country.

Source: International Labour Organization. “Wages and Working Time Statistics database (COND)” ILOSTAT. Accessed October 16, 2024. https://ilostat.ilo.org/data/.


IndicatorName: Part time employment, male (% of total male employment)


IndicatorName: Part time employment, total (% of total employment)


Aggregationmethod: Sum

IndicatorName: Labor force, female

Longdefinition: Female labor force comprises women 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: World Bank, World Development Indicators database. Estimates are based on data obtained from International Labour Organization and United Nations Population Division.

Statisticalconceptandmethodology:
The standard definition of unemployed persons is those individuals without work, seeking work in a recent past period, and currently available for work, including people who have lost their jobs or voluntarily left work. In addition, persons who did not look for work but have an arrangement for a future job are also counted as unemployed. Still, some unemployment is unavoidable—at any time, some workers are temporarily unemployed between jobs as employers look for the right workers and workers search for better jobs. The labor force or the economically active portion of the population serves as the base for this indicator, not the total population.

Estimates are based on labor force participation rates and population data from International Labour Organization and United Nations Population Division. The labor force participation rates are part of the "ILO modeled estimates database," including nationally reported observations and imputed data for countries with missing data, primarily to capture regional and global trends with consistent country coverage. Country-reported microdata is based mainly on nationally representative labor force surveys, with other sources (e.g., household surveys and population censuses) considering differences in the data source, the scope of coverage, methodology, and other country-specific factors. Country analysis requires caution where limited nationally reported data are available. A series of models are also applied to impute missing observations and make projections. However, imputed observations are not based on national data, are subject to high uncertainty, and should not be used for country comparisons or rankings. For more information: https://ilostat.ilo.org/resources/concepts-and-definitions/ilo-modelled-estimates/


IndicatorName: Labor force, female (% of total labor force)

Longdefinition: Female labor force as a percentage of the total show the extent to which women are active in the labor force. Labor force comprises people ages 15 and older who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period.


IndicatorName: Labor force, total

Longdefinition: 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.


IndicatorName: Labor force, male

Longdefinition: Male labor force comprises men 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.


Developmentrelevance:
Paradoxically, low unemployment rates can disguise substantial poverty in a country, while high unemployment rates can occur in countries with a high level of economic development and low rates of poverty. In countries without unemployment or welfare benefits people eke out a living in vulnerable employment. In countries with well-developed safety nets workers can afford to wait for suitable or desirable jobs. But high and sustained unemployment indicates serious inefficiencies in resource allocation.

Youth unemployment is an important policy issue for many economies. Young men and women today face increasing uncertainty in their hopes of undergoing a satisfactory transition in the labour market, and this uncertainty and disillusionment can, in turn, have damaging effects on individuals, communities, economies and society at large. Unemployed or underemployed youth are less able to contribute effectively to national development and have fewer opportunities to exercise their rights as citizens. They have less to spend as consumers, less to invest as savers and often have no "voice" to bring about change in their lives and communities. Widespread youth unemployment and underemployment also prevents companies and countries from innovating and developing competitive advantages based on human capital investment, thus undermining future prospects.

Unemployment is a key measure to monitor whether a country is on track to achieve the Sustainable Development Goal of promoting sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent work for all. [SDG Indicator 8.5.2]

IndicatorName: Unemployment, youth female (% of female labor force ages 15-24) (national estimate)

Limitationsandexceptions:
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.

There may be also persons not currently in the labour market who want to work but do not actively "seek" work because they view job opportunities as limited, or because they have restricted labour mobility, or face discrimination, or structural, social or cultural barriers. The exclusion of people who want to work but are not seeking work (often called the "hidden unemployed" or "discouraged workers") is a criterion that will affect the unemployment count of both women and men.

However, women tend to be excluded from the count for various reasons. Women suffer more from discrimination and from structural, social, and cultural barriers that impede them from seeking work. Also, women are often responsible for the care of children and the elderly and for household affairs. They may not be available for work during the short reference period, as they need to make arrangements before starting work. Further, women are considered to be employed when they are working part-time or in temporary jobs, despite the instability of these jobs or their active search for more secure employment.

Longdefinition: 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.

Statisticalconceptandmethodology:
The standard definition of unemployed persons is those individuals without work, seeking work in a recent past period, and currently available for work, including people who have lost their jobs or who have voluntarily left work. Persons who did not look for work but have an arrangements for a future job are also counted as unemployed.

Some unemployment is unavoidable. At any time some workers are temporarily unemployed between jobs as employers look for the right workers and workers search for better jobs. It is the labour force or the economically active portion of the population that serves as the base for this indicator, not the total population.


IndicatorName: Unemployment, youth female (% of female labor force ages 15-24) (modeled ILO estimate)

Longdefinition: Youth unemployment refers to the share of the labor force ages 15-24 without work but available for and seeking employment.

Source: International Labour Organization. “ILO Modelled Estimates and Projections database (ILOEST)” ILOSTAT. Accessed June 18, 2024. https://ilostat.ilo.org/data/.

Statisticalconceptandmethodology:
The standard definition of unemployed persons is those individuals without work, seeking work in a recent past period, and currently available for work, including people who have lost their jobs or voluntarily left work. In addition, persons who did not look for work but have an arrangement for a future job are also counted as unemployed. Still, some unemployment is unavoidable—at any time, some workers are temporarily unemployed between jobs as employers look for the right workers and workers search for better jobs. The labor force or the economically active portion of the population serves as the base for this indicator, not the total population.

The series is part of the "ILO modeled estimates database," including nationally reported observations and imputed data for countries with missing data, primarily to capture regional and global trends with consistent country coverage. Country-reported microdata is based mainly on nationally representative labor force surveys, with other sources (e.g., household surveys and population censuses) considering differences in the data source, the scope of coverage, methodology, and other country-specific factors. Country analysis requires caution where limited nationally reported data are available. A series of models are also applied to impute missing observations and make projections. However, imputed observations are not based on national data, are subject to high uncertainty, and should not be used for country comparisons or rankings. For more information: https://ilostat.ilo.org/resources/concepts-and-definitions/ilo-modelled-estimates/


Developmentrelevance:
Youth unemployment is an important policy issue for many economies. Young men and women today face increasing uncertainty in their hopes of undergoing a satisfactory transition in the labour market, and this uncertainty and disillusionment can, in turn, have damaging effects on individuals, communities, economies and society at large. Unemployed or underemployed youth are less able to contribute effectively to national development and have fewer opportunities to exercise their rights as citizens. They have less to spend as consumers, less to invest as savers and often have no "voice" to bring about change in their lives and communities. Widespread youth unemployment and underemployment also prevents companies and countries from innovating and developing competitive advantages based on human capital investment, thus undermining future prospects.

Unemployment and total employment are the broadest indicators of economic activity as reflected by the labor market. The International Labour Organization(ILO) defines the unemployed as members of the economically active population who are without work but available for and seeking work, including people who have lost their jobs or who have voluntarily left work. Some unemployment is unavoidable. At any time some workers are temporarily unemployed - between jobs as employers look for the right workers and workers search for better jobs. Such unemployment, often called frictional unemployment, results from the normal operation of labor markets.

In many developing countries women work on farms or in other family enterprises without pay and others work in or near their homes, mixing work and family activities during the day. Labor force statistics by gender is important to monitor gender disparities in unemployment patterns. In many developed economies, women have been increasingly acquiring higher education that has led to better-compensated, longer-term careers rather than lower-skilled, shorter-term jobs. However, access to good- paying occupations for women remains unequal in many occupations and countries around the world.

IndicatorName: Ratio of female to male youth unemployment rate (% ages 15-24) (national estimate)

Limitationsandexceptions:
Data on youth unemployment are drawn from labor force sample surveys and general household sample surveys, censuses, and official estimates, which are generally based on information from different sources and can be combined in many ways. Administrative records, such as social insurance statistics and employment office statistics, need to be treated with care because of their limitations in coverage.

Labor force surveys generally yield the most comprehensive data because they include groups not covered in other unemployment statistics, particularly people seeking work for the first time. These surveys generally use a definition of unemployment that follows the international recommendations more closely than that used by other sources and therefore generate statistics that are more comparable internationally. But the age group, geographic coverage, and collection methods could differ by country or change over time within a country. For detailed information, consult the original source.

The "youth" is defined as ages 15-24, but the lower age limit for young people in a country could be determined by the minimum age for leaving school, so age groups could differ across countries. Also, since this age group is likely to include school leavers, the level of youth unemployment varies considerably over the year as a result of different school opening and closing dates.

The ILO definition of unemployment notwithstanding, reference periods, 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 developing countries it is especially difficult to measure employment and unemployment in agriculture. The timing of a survey, for example, can maximize the effects of seasonal unemployment in agriculture. And informal sector employment is difficult to quantify where informal activities are not tracked.

There may be persons not currently in the labour market who want to work but do not actively "seek" work because they view job opportunities as limited, or because they have restricted labour mobility, or face discrimination, or structural, social or cultural barriers. The exclusion of people who want to work but are not seeking work (often called the "hidden unemployed" or "discouraged workers") is a criterion that will affect the count of both women and men although women may have a higher probability of being excluded from the count of unemployed because they suffer more from social barriers overall that impede them from meeting this criterion. There are situations where the conventional means of seeking work are of limited relevance - for example, in developing economies where the informal economy is rampant and where the labour force is largely self-employed. In such cases, the standard definition of unemployment would greatly undercount the untapped human resources of a country and would give a picture of the labour market that was more positive than reality would warrant.

Longdefinition: Ratio of female to male youth unemployment is the percentage of female to male youth unemployment rates.

Statisticalconceptandmethodology: The standard definition of unemployed persons is those individuals without work, seeking work in a recent past period, and currently available for work. Persons who did not look for work but have an arrangements for a future job are counted as unemployed. It is the labour force or the economically active portion of the population that serves as the base for this indicator, not the total population. Data are based on labor force sample surveys, general household sample surveys, censuses, official estimates, and administrative records.


IndicatorName: Ratio of female to male youth unemployment rate (% ages 15-24) (modeled ILO estimate)

Limitationsandexceptions: There may be persons not currently in the labour market who want to work but do not actively "seek" work because they view job opportunities as limited, or because they have restricted labour mobility, or face discrimination, or structural, social or cultural barriers. The exclusion of people who want to work but are not seeking work (often called the "hidden unemployed" or "discouraged workers") is a criterion that will affect the count of both women and men although women may have a higher probability of being excluded from the count of unemployed because they suffer more from social barriers overall that impede them from meeting this criterion. There are situations where the conventional means of seeking work are of limited relevance - for example, in developing economies where the informal economy is rampant and where the labour force is largely self-employed. In such cases, the standard definition of unemployment would greatly undercount the untapped human resources of a country and would give a picture of the labour market that was more positive than reality would warrant.


IndicatorName: Unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) (national estimate)


IndicatorName: Unemployment, youth male (% of male labor force ages 15-24) (modeled ILO estimate)


IndicatorName: Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) (national estimate)


IndicatorName: Unemployment, youth total (% of total labor force ages 15-24) (modeled ILO estimate)


IndicatorName: Unemployment with advanced education, female (% of female labor force with advanced education)

Longdefinition: The percentage of the labor force with an advanced level of education who are unemployed. Advanced education comprises short-cycle tertiary education, a bachelor’s degree or equivalent education level, a master’s degree or equivalent education level, or doctoral degree or equivalent education level according to the International Standard Classification of Education 2011 (ISCED 2011).


IndicatorName: Unemployment with advanced education, male (% of male labor force with advanced education)


IndicatorName: Unemployment with advanced education (% of total labor force with advanced education)


IndicatorName: Unemployment with basic education, female (% of female labor force with basic education)

Longdefinition: The percentage of the labor force with a basic level of education who are unemployed. Basic education comprises primary education or lower secondary education according to the International Standard Classification of Education 2011 (ISCED 2011).


IndicatorName: Unemployment with basic education, male (% of male labor force with basic education)


IndicatorName: Unemployment with basic education (% of total labor force with basic education)


IndicatorName: Unemployment with intermediate education, female (% of female labor force with intermediate education)

Longdefinition: The percentage of the labor force with an intermediate level of education who are unemployed. Intermediate education comprises upper secondary or post-secondary non tertiary education according to the International Standard Classification of Education 2011 (ISCED 2011).


IndicatorName: Unemployment with intermediate education, male (% of male labor force with intermediate education)


IndicatorName: Unemployment with intermediate education (% of total labor force with intermediate education)


Developmentrelevance:
Unemployment and total employment are the broadest indicators of economic activity as reflected by the labor market. The International Labour Organization(ILO) defines the unemployed as members of the economically active population who are without work but available for and seeking work, including people who have lost their jobs or who have voluntarily left work. Some unemployment is unavoidable. At any time some workers are temporarily unemployed - between jobs as employers look for the right workers and workers search for better jobs. Such unemployment, often called frictional unemployment, results from the normal operation of labor markets.

Youth unemployment is an important policy issue for many economies. Young men and women today face increasing uncertainty in their hopes of undergoing a satisfactory transition in the labour market, and this uncertainty and disillusionment can, in turn, have damaging effects on individuals, communities, economies and society at large. Unemployed or underemployed youth are less able to contribute effectively to national development and have fewer opportunities to exercise their rights as citizens. They have less to spend as consumers, less to invest as savers and often have no "voice" to bring about change in their lives and communities. Widespread youth unemployment and underemployment also prevents companies and countries from innovating and developing competitive advantages based on human capital investment, thus undermining future prospects.

The NEET group is particularly at risk of both labour market and social exclusion, because this group is neither improving their future employability through investment in skills nor gaining experience through employment, . In addition, the NEET group is already in a disadvantaged position due to lower levels of education and lower household incomes. In view of the fact that the NEET group includes unemployed youth as well as economically inactive youth, the NEET rate provides important complementray information to labour force participation rates and unemploymenent rates. For example, if youth participation rates decrease during an economic downturn due to discouragement, this may be reflected in an upward movement in the NEET rate. More generally, a high NEET rate and a low youth unemployment may indicate significant discouragement of young people. A high NEET rate for young women suggests their engagement in household chores, and/or the presence of strong institutional barriers limiting female participation in labour markets.

IndicatorName: Share of youth not in education, employment or training, female (% of female youth population)

Limitationsandexceptions: Data should be used cautiously because of differences in age coverage.

Longdefinition: Share of youth not in education, employment or training (NEET) is the proportion of young people who are not in education, employment, or training to the population of the corresponding age group: youth (ages 15 to 24); persons ages 15 to 29; or both age groups.

Statisticalconceptandmethodology:
The standard definition of unemployed persons is those individuals without work in a recent past period, and currently available for and seeking for employment. But there may be persons who do not actively "seek" work because they view job opportunities as limited, or because they have restricted labour mobility, or face discrimination, or structural, social or cultural barriers. NEET rates capture more broadly untapped potential youth, including such individuals who want to work but are not seeking work (often called the "hidden unemployed" or "discouraged workers").

Youth are defined as persons ages 15 to 24; young adults are those ages 25 to 29; and adults are those ages 25 and above. However, countries vary somewhat in their operational definitions. In particular, the lower age limit for young people is usually determined by the minimum age for leaving school, where this exists. When data are available for more than two age groups in a given year, one value for persons ages 15 to 29 is taken, considering that not all people complete their education by the age of 24.


IndicatorName: Share of youth not in education, employment or training, male (% of male youth population)


IndicatorName: Share of youth not in education, employment or training, total (% of youth population)


IndicatorName: Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) (national estimate)

Longdefinition: Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment. Definitions of labor force and unemployment differ by country.


IndicatorName: Unemployment, female (% of female labor force) (modeled ILO estimate)

Longdefinition: Unemployment refers to the share of the labor force that is without work but available for and seeking employment.


IndicatorName: Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) (national estimate)


IndicatorName: Unemployment, male (% of male labor force) (modeled ILO estimate)


IndicatorName: Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (national estimate)


IndicatorName: Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) (modeled ILO estimate)


Generalcomments: This is the Sustainable Development Goal indicator 3.7.2 [https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/metadata/].

IndicatorName: Adolescent fertility rate (births per 1,000 women ages 15-19)

Longdefinition: Adolescent fertility rate is the number of births per 1,000 women ages 15-19.

Source: United Nations Population Division, World Population Prospects.

Statisticalconceptandmethodology:
Reproductive health is a state of physical and mental well-being in relation to the reproductive system and its functions and processes. Means of achieving reproductive health include education and services during pregnancy and childbirth, safe and effective contraception, and prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases. Complications of pregnancy and childbirth are the leading cause of death and disability among women of reproductive age in developing countries.

Adolescent fertility rates are based on data on registered live births from vital registration systems or, in the absence of such systems, from censuses or sample surveys. The estimated rates are generally considered reliable measures of fertility in the recent past. Where no empirical information on age-specific fertility rates is available, a model is used to estimate the share of births to adolescents. For countries without vital registration systems fertility rates are generally based on extrapolations from trends observed in censuses or surveys from earlier years.

Topic: Health


Developmentrelevance: Mortality rates for different age groups (infants, children, and adults) and overall mortality indicators (life expectancy at birth or survival to a given age) are important indicators of health status in a country. Because data on the incidence and prevalence of diseases are frequently unavailable, mortality rates are often used to identify vulnerable populations. And they are among the indicators most frequently used to compare socioeconomic development across countries.

IndicatorName: Mortality rate, adult, female (per 1,000 female adults)

Longdefinition: Adult mortality rate, female, is the probability of dying between the ages of 15 and 60--that is, the probability of a 15-year-old female dying before reaching age 60, if subject to age-specific mortality rates of the specified year between those ages.

Source: (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2022 Revision. (2) HMD. Human Mortality Database. Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research (Germany), University of California, Berkeley (USA), and French Institute for Demographic Studies (France). Available at www.mortality.org.

Statisticalconceptandmethodology: The main sources of mortality data are vital registration systems and direct or indirect estimates based on sample surveys or censuses. A "complete" vital registration system - covering at least 90 percent of vital events in the population - is the best source of age-specific mortality data. Where reliable age-specific mortality data are available, life tables can be constructed from age-specific mortality data, and adult mortality rates can be calculated from life tables.


IndicatorName: Mortality rate, adult, male (per 1,000 male adults)

Longdefinition: Adult mortality rate, male, is the probability of dying between the ages of 15 and 60--that is, the probability of a 15-year-old male dying before reaching age 60, if subject to age-specific mortality rates of the specified year between those ages.


IndicatorName: Birth rate, crude (per 1,000 people)

Limitationsandexceptions: Vital registers are the preferred source for these data, but in many developing countries systems for registering births and deaths are absent or incomplete because of deficiencies in the coverage of events or geographic areas. Many developing countries carry out special household surveys that ask respondents about recent births and deaths. Estimates derived in this way are subject to sampling errors and recall errors.

Longdefinition: Crude birth rate indicates the number of live births occurring during the year, per 1,000 population estimated at midyear. Subtracting the crude death rate from the crude birth rate provides the rate of natural increase, which is equal to the rate of population change in the absence of migration.

Shortdefinition: Crude birth rate indicates the number of live births per 1,000 midyear population.

Source: (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2022 Revision; (2) Statistical databases and publications from national statistical offices; (3) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics; (4) United Nations Statistics Division. Population and Vital Statistics Reprot (various years).

Statisticalconceptandmethodology:
The crude birth rate is calculated as the number of births in a given period divided by the average population in that period. For human populations the period is usually one year and, if the population changes in size over the year, the divisor is taken as the population at the mid-year. The rate is usually expressed in terms of 1,000 people: for example, a crude birth rate of 9.5 (per 1000 people) in a population of 1 million would imply 9500 births per year in the entire population. Subtracting the crude death rate from the crude birth rate provides the rate of natural increase, which is equal to the rate of population change in the absence of migration.

Vital rates are based on data from birth and death registration systems, censuses, and sample surveys by national statistical offices and other organizations, or on demographic analysis. Data for the most recent year for some high-income countries are provisional estimates based on vital registers. The estimates for many other countries are from the United Nations Population Division.

Topic: Population


Developmentrelevance: The crude death rate is a good indicator of the general health status of a geographic area or population. The crude death rate is not appropriate for comparison of different populations or areas with large differences in age-distributions. Higher crude death rates can be found in some developed countries, despite high life expectancy, because typically these countries have a much higher proportion of older people, due to lower recent birth rates and lower age-specific mortality rates.

IndicatorName: Death rate, crude (per 1,000 people)

Longdefinition: Crude death rate indicates the number of deaths occurring during the year, per 1,000 population estimated at midyear. Subtracting the crude death rate from the crude birth rate provides the rate of natural increase, which is equal to the rate of population change in the absence of migration.

Shortdefinition: Crude death rate indicates the number of deaths per 1,000 midyear population.

Statisticalconceptandmethodology:
The crude death rate is calculated as the number of deaths in a given period divided by the population exposed to risk of death in that period. For human populations the period is usually one year and, if the population changes in size over the year, the divisor is taken as the population at the mid-year. The rate is usually expressed in terms of 1,000 people: for example, a crude death rate of 9.5 (per 1000 people) in a population of 1 million would imply 9500 deaths per year in the entire population. Subtracting the crude death rate from the crude birth rate provides the rate of natural increase, which is equal to the rate of population change in the absence of migration.

Vital rates are based on data from birth and death registration systems, censuses, and sample surveys by national statistical offices and other organizations, or on demographic analysis. Data for the most recent year for some high-income countries are provisional estimates based on vital registers. The estimates for many other countries are from the United Nations Population Division.


Developmentrelevance:
Contraceptive prevalence among women of reproductive age is related to maternal and child health, as well as gender equality and HIV/AIDS.   Contraceptives enable women and men to make informed decisions on family planning – whether, when, and how many children they would have.

Preventing unwanted pregnancies is essential to reducing maternal deaths, especially in low- and middle- income countries where maternal mortality rate is high.  With effective contraception, life-threatening pregnancy complications can be reduced, and thus maternal deaths can be averted.

Using condoms (one of the modern contraceptive methods) can prevent pregnancy as well as sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV.

IndicatorName: Contraceptive prevalence, any modern method (% of married women ages 15-49)

Limitationsandexceptions:
While the data availability on contraceptive use has increased, in many countries the contraceptive use data are available only for married women.

The time frame used to assess contraceptive prevalence may vary. In many surveys, it is left to the respondent to determine what is meant by “currently using” a method of contraception.

Longdefinition: Contraceptive prevalence, any modern method is the percentage of married women ages 15-49 who are practicing, or whose sexual partners are practicing, at least one modern method of contraception.  Modern methods of contraception include female and male sterilization, oral hormonal pills, the intra-uterine device (IUD), the male condom, injectables, the implant (including Norplant), vaginal barrier methods, the female condom and emergency contraception.

Othernotes: As of December 2021, for better consistency the contraceptive prevalence data only for currently married women or in union are included in this indicator. It means the data for the following categories are excluded from this indicator: ever-married women; all women; sexually active women; which data may have been included in this indicator before December 2021. In response to this, two new contraceptive prevalence indicators (any method and any modern method) for sexually active unmarried women 15-49 are added to the HealthStats database. https://databank.worldbank.org/source/health-nutrition-and-population-statistics

Source: Household surveys, including Demographic and Health Surveys and Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys. Largely compiled by United Nations Population Division.

Statisticalconceptandmethodology:
Contraceptive prevalence rates are obtained mainly from nationally representative household surveys, including: Demographic and Health Surveys; Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys; Contraceptive Prevalence Surveys; Gender and Generations Survey; Reproductive Health Surveys; and World Fertility Surveys.  Additional information was provided by other international survey programs and national surveys.

Married women refer to women who are married (defined in relation to the marriage laws or customs of a country) and to women in a union, which refers to women living with their partner in the same household (also referred to as cohabiting unions, consensual unions, unmarried unions, or “living together”).


IndicatorName: Contraceptive prevalence, any method (% of married women ages 15-49)

Longdefinition: Contraceptive prevalence, any method is the percentage of married women ages 15-49 who are practicing, or whose sexual partners are practicing, any method of contraception (modern or traditional). Modern methods of contraception include female and male sterilization, oral hormonal pills, the intra-uterine device (IUD), the male condom, injectables, the implant (including Norplant), vaginal barrier methods, the female condom and emergency contraception. Traditional methods of contraception include rhythm (e.g., fertility awareness based methods, periodic abstinence), withdrawal and other traditional methods.


Generalcomments:
Given that data on the incidence and prevalence of diseases are frequently unavailable, mortality rates are often used to identify vulnerable populations. Moreover, they are among the indicators most frequently used to compare socioeconomic development across countries. Under-five mortality rates are higher for boys than for girls in countries in which parental gender preferences are insignificant. Under-five mortality captures the effect of gender discrimination better than infant mortality does, as malnutrition and medical interventions have more significant impacts to this age group. Where female under-five mortality is higher, girls are likely to have less access to resources than boys.

Aggregate data for LIC, UMC, LMC, HIC are computed based on the groupings for the World Bank fiscal year in which the data was released by the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation.

IndicatorName: Mortality rate, infant, female (per 1,000 live births)

Limitationsandexceptions: Complete vital registration systems are fairly uncommon in developing countries. Thus estimates must be obtained from sample surveys or derived by applying indirect estimation techniques to registration, census, or survey data. Survey data are subject to recall error, and surveys estimating infant/child deaths require large samples because households in which a birth has occurred during a given year cannot ordinarily be preselected for sampling. Indirect estimates rely on model life tables that may be inappropriate for the population concerned. Extrapolations based on outdated surveys may not be reliable for monitoring changes in health status or for comparative analytical work.

Longdefinition: Infant mortality rate, female is the number of female infants dying before reaching one year of age, per 1,000 female live births in a given year.

Source: Estimates developed by the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UNICEF, WHO, World Bank, UN DESA Population Division) at www.childmortality.org.

Statisticalconceptandmethodology:
The main sources of mortality data are vital registration systems and direct or indirect estimates based on sample surveys or censuses. A "complete" vital registration system - covering at least 90 percent of vital events in the population - is the best source of age-specific mortality data.

Estimates of neonatal, infant, and child mortality tend to vary by source and method for a given time and place. Years for available estimates also vary by country, making comparisons across countries and over time difficult. To make neonatal, infant, and child mortality estimates comparable and to ensure consistency across estimates by different agencies, the United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME), which comprises the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organization (WHO), the World Bank, the United Nations Population Division, and other universities and research institutes, developed and adopted a statistical method that uses all available information to reconcile differences. The method uses statistical models to obtain a best estimate trend line by fitting a country-specific regression model of mortality rates against their reference dates.


IndicatorName: Mortality rate, infant (per 1,000 live births)

Longdefinition: Infant mortality rate is the number of infants dying before reaching one year of age, per 1,000 live births in a given year.


IndicatorName: Mortality rate, infant, male (per 1,000 live births)

Longdefinition: Infant mortality rate, male is the number of male infants dying before reaching one year of age, per 1,000 male live births in a given year.


IndicatorName: Life expectancy at birth, female (years)

Longdefinition: Life expectancy at birth indicates the number of years a newborn infant would live if prevailing patterns of mortality at the time of its birth were to stay the same throughout its life.

Source: (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2022 Revision; (2) Statistical databases and publications from national statistical offices; (3) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics.

Statisticalconceptandmethodology:
Life expectancy at birth used here is the average number of years a newborn is expected to live if mortality patterns at the time of its birth remain constant in the future. It reflects the overall mortality level of a population, and summarizes the mortality pattern that prevails across all age groups in a given year. It is calculated in a period life table which provides a snapshot of a population's mortality pattern at a given time. It therefore does not reflect the mortality pattern that a person actually experiences during his/her life, which can be calculated in a cohort life table.

High mortality in young age groups significantly lowers the life expectancy at birth. But if a person survives his/her childhood of high mortality, he/she may live much longer. For example, in a population with a life expectancy at birth of 50, there may be few people dying at age 50. The life expectancy at birth may be low due to the high childhood mortality so that once a person survives his/her childhood, he/she may live much longer than 50 years.


IndicatorName: Life expectancy at birth, total (years)

Source: (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2022 Revision; or derived from male and female life expectancy at birth from sources such as: (2) Statistical databases and publications from national statistical offices; (3) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics.


IndicatorName: Life expectancy at birth, male (years)


IndicatorName: Life expectancy at age 60, female

Longdefinition: Life expectancy at age 60, female is the average number of years that a female at age 60 would live if prevailing patterns of mortality at the time of age 60 were to stay the same throughout her life.

Source: 2022 World Population Prospects, United Nations Population Division: Retrieved August 31, 2023.


IndicatorName: Life expectancy at age 60, male

Longdefinition: Life expectancy at age 60, male is the average number of years that a male at age 60 would live if prevailing patterns of mortality at the time of age 60 were to stay the same throughout his life.


IndicatorName: Mean age at first marriage, female

Limitationsandexceptions: The estimates by age may be affected by age misreporting. Marital status may be misreported, particularly in societies where divorce or separation is not socially acceptable. The differences in marital status categories included over time and their definitions limit comparability of data across time and countries. Data derived from surveys with small samples are subject to sampling error.

Longdefinition: Mean age at marriage, female shows the average length of single life expressed in years among those females who marry before age 50. It is a synthetic indicator calculated from marital status categories of men and women aged 15 to 54 at the census or survey date.

Notesfromoriginalsource: Note that the SMAM takes a single point in time and calculates the age at marriage from the marital status of the population aged between 15 and 50. This value is different from the mean age of marriage that is calculated from first marriage rates in a respective period (commonly used in countries with complete marriage registration systems) or cohort measures of entry into first marriage or union (based on retrospective survey questions on age at first marriage or union formation). The retrospective nature of the SMAM means that values are influenced by age and marital status specific mortality and migration.

Source: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Marriage Data 2019.


IndicatorName: Mean age at first marriage, male

Longdefinition: Mean age at marriage, male shows the average length of single life expressed in years among those males who marry before age 50. It is a synthetic indicator calculated from marital status categories of men and women aged 15 to 54 at the census or survey date.

Source: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division. World Marriage Data.


Developmentrelevance: Reproductive health is a state of physical and mental well-being in relation to the reproductive system and its functions and processes. Means of achieving reproductive health include education and services during pregnancy and childbirth, safe and effective contraception, and prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases. Complications of pregnancy and childbirth are the leading cause of death and disability among women of reproductive age in developing countries.

Generalcomments: Relevance to gender indicator: it can indicate the status of women within households and a woman’s decision about the number and spacing of children.

IndicatorName: Fertility rate, total (births per woman)

Longdefinition: Total fertility rate represents the number of children that would be born to a woman if she were to live to the end of her childbearing years and bear children in accordance with age-specific fertility rates of the specified year.

Statisticalconceptandmethodology: Total fertility rates are based on data on registered live births from vital registration systems or, in the absence of such systems, from censuses or sample surveys. The estimated rates are generally considered reliable measures of fertility in the recent past. Where no empirical information on age-specific fertility rates is available, a model is used to estimate the share of births to adolescents. For countries without reliable vital registration systems fertility rates are generally based on extrapolations from trends observed in censuses or surveys from earlier years.


IndicatorName: Survival to age 65, female (% of cohort)

Longdefinition: Survival to age 65 refers to the percentage of a cohort of newborn infants that would survive to age 65, if subject to age specific mortality rates of the specified year.

Source: United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2024 Revision.


IndicatorName: Survival to age 65, male (% of cohort)


IndicatorName: Wanted fertility rate (births per woman)

Longdefinition: Wanted fertility rate is an estimate of what the total fertility rate would be if all unwanted births were avoided.

Source: Demographic and Health Surveys.


Developmentrelevance: The household is regarded as the fundamental social and economic unit of society. Transformation at the household form, therefore, has impact at the aggregate level of a country. An increasing number of female-headed households (FHHs) in developing countries are emerging as a result of economic changes, economic downturns and social pressures, rather than as a product of cultural patterns. In many developing countries of Asia and Latin American, there has been a significant increase in the percentage of FHHs. The majority of women in FHHs in developing countries are widowed, and to a lesser extent divorced or separated. In the developed countries most female-headed households consist of women who are never married or who are divorced. The feminization of poverty - the process whereby poverty becomes more concentrated among Individuals living in female-headed households - is a key concept for describing FHH social and economic levels.

Generalcomments: The composition of a household plays a role in the determining other characteristics of a household, such as how many children are sent to school and the distribution of family income.

IndicatorName: Female headed households (% of households with a female head)

Limitationsandexceptions: The definition of female-headed household differs greatly across countries, making cross-country comparison difficult. In some cases it is assumed that a woman cannot be the head of any household with an adult male, because of sex-biased stereotype. Caution should be used in interpreting the data.

Longdefinition: Female headed households shows the percentage of households with a female head.


Developmentrelevance: Although the legal age of marriage is defined as 18 years in most countries, the practice of child marriage remains widespread.  A women’s access to education and later her employment opportunities as well as the nature and terms of her work are often compromised by this practice.  Young married girls whose schooling is cut short often lack the knowledge and skills for formal work and are limited to occupations with lower incomes and inferior working conditions.  Sustainable Development Goal 5 commits to eliminate the practice of child marriage.

Generalcomments: This is the Sustainable Development Goal indicator 5.3.1[https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/metadata/].

IndicatorName: Women who were first married by age 15 (% of women ages 20-24)

Longdefinition: Women who were first married by age 15 refers to the percentage of women ages 20-24 who were first married by age 15.

Source: UNICEF Data; Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS), Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS), AIDS Indicator Surveys(AIS), Reproductive Health Survey(RHS), and other household surveys.

Topic: Violence


IndicatorName: Women who were first married by age 18 (% of women ages 20-24)

Longdefinition: Women who were first married by age 18 refers to the percentage of women ages 20-24 who were first married by age 18.


Developmentrelevance: Having a child during the teenage years limits girls' opportunities for better education, jobs, and income. Pregnancy is more likely to be unintended during the teenage years, and births are more likely to be premature and are associated with greater risks of complications during delivery and of death. In many countries maternal mortality is a leading cause of death among women of reproductive age, although most of those deaths are preventable. Infants of adolescent mothers are also more likely to have low birth weight, which can have a long-term impact on their health and development. Complications from pregnancy and childbirth are the leading cause of death among girls aged 15-19 years in many low- and middle-income countries.

IndicatorName: Teenage mothers (% of women ages 15-19 who have had children or are currently pregnant)

Longdefinition: Teenage mothers are the percentage of women ages 15-19 who already have children or are currently pregnant.


IndicatorName: Population ages 00-04, female

Longdefinition: Female population between the ages 0 to 4.

Source: World Bank staff estimates using the World Bank's total population and age/sex distributions of the United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2024 Revision.


IndicatorName: Population ages 00-04, male

Longdefinition: Male population between the ages 0 to 4.


Generalcomments: Relevance to gender indicator: Knowing how many girls, adolescents and women there are in a population helps a country in determining its provision of services.

IndicatorName: Population ages 0-14, female

Longdefinition: Female population between the ages 0 to 14. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.


IndicatorName: Population ages 0-14, male

Longdefinition: Male population between the ages 0 to 14. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.


IndicatorName: Population ages 0-14, total

Longdefinition: Total population between the ages 0 to 14. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.


Developmentrelevance:
Patterns of development in a country are partly determined by the age composition of its population. Different age groups have different impacts on both the environment and on infrastructure needs.  Therefore the age structure of a population is useful for analyzing resource use and formulating future policy and planning goals  with regards infrastructure and development.

This indicator is used for calculating age dependency ratio (percent of working-age population). The age dependency ratio is the ratio of the sum of the population aged 0-14 and the population aged 65 and above to the population aged 15-64. In many developing countries, the once rapidly growing population group of the under-15 population is shrinking. As a result, high fertility rates, together with declining mortality rates, are now reflected in the larger share of the 65 and older population.

IndicatorName: Population ages 0-14 (% of total population)

Longdefinition: Population between the ages 0 to 14 as a percentage of the total population. Population is based on the de facto definition of population.

Statisticalconceptandmethodology:
Age structure in the World Bank's population estimates is based on the age structure in United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects. For more information, see the original source.

Total population is based on the de facto population including all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship. The values shown are midyear estimates. For more information see metadata for total population (SP.POP.TOTL).


IndicatorName: Population ages 05-09, female

Longdefinition: Female population between the ages 5 to 9.


IndicatorName: Population ages 05-09, male

Longdefinition: Male population between the ages 5 to 9.


IndicatorName: Population ages 10-14, female

Longdefinition: Female population between the ages 10 to 14.


IndicatorName: Population ages 10-14, male

Longdefinition: Male population between the ages 10 to 14.


IndicatorName: Population ages 15-19, female

Longdefinition: Female population between the ages 15 to 19.


IndicatorName: Population ages 15-19, male

Longdefinition: Male population between the ages 15 to 19.


IndicatorName: Population ages 15-64, female

Longdefinition: Female population between the ages 15 to 64. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.


IndicatorName: Population ages 15-64, male

Longdefinition: Male population between the ages 15 to 64. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.


IndicatorName: Population ages 15-64, total

Longdefinition: Total population between the ages 15 to 64. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.


IndicatorName: Population ages 15-64 (% of total population)

Longdefinition: Total population between the ages 15 to 64 as a percentage of the total population. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.


IndicatorName: Population ages 20-24, female

Longdefinition: Female population between the ages 20 to 24.


IndicatorName: Population ages 20-24, male

Longdefinition: Male population between the ages 20 to 24.


IndicatorName: Population ages 25-29, female

Longdefinition: Female population between the ages 25 to 29.


IndicatorName: Population ages 25-29, male

Longdefinition: Male population between the ages 25 to 29.


IndicatorName: Population ages 30-34, female

Longdefinition: Female population between the ages 30 to 34.


IndicatorName: Population ages 30-34, male

Longdefinition: Male population between the ages 30 to 34.


IndicatorName: Population ages 35-39, female

Longdefinition: Female population between the ages 35 to 39.


IndicatorName: Population ages 35-39, male

Longdefinition: Male population between the ages 35 to 39.


IndicatorName: Population ages 40-44, female

Longdefinition: Female population between the ages 40 to 44.


IndicatorName: Population ages 40-44, male

Longdefinition: Male population between the ages 40 to 44.


IndicatorName: Population ages 45-49, female

Longdefinition: Female population between the ages 45 to 49.


IndicatorName: Population ages 45-49, male

Longdefinition: Male population between the ages 45 to 49.


IndicatorName: Population ages 50-54, female

Longdefinition: Female population between the ages 50 to 54.


IndicatorName: Population ages 50-54, male

Longdefinition: Male population between the ages 50 to 54.


IndicatorName: Population ages 55-59, female

Longdefinition: Female population between the ages 55 to 59.


IndicatorName: Population ages 55-59, male

Longdefinition: Male population between the ages 55 to 59.


IndicatorName: Population ages 60-64, female

Longdefinition: Female population between the ages 60 to 64.


IndicatorName: Population ages 60-64, male

Longdefinition: Male population between the ages 60 to 64.


IndicatorName: Population ages 65-69, female

Longdefinition: Female population between the ages 65 to 69.


IndicatorName: Population ages 65-69, male

Longdefinition: Male population between the ages 65 to 69.


IndicatorName: Population ages 65 and above, female

Longdefinition: Female population 65 years of age or older. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.


IndicatorName: Population ages 65 and above, male

Longdefinition: Male population 65 years of age or older. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.


IndicatorName: Population ages 65 and above, total

Longdefinition: Total population 65 years of age or older. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.


IndicatorName: Population ages 65 and above (% of total population)

Longdefinition: Population ages 65 and above as a percentage of the total population. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.

Statisticalconceptandmethodology: Age structure in the World Bank's population estimates is based on the age structure in United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects. For more information, see the original source. Total population is based on the de facto population including all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship. The values shown are midyear estimates. For more information see metadata for total population (SP.POP.TOTL).


IndicatorName: Population ages 70-74, female

Longdefinition: Female population between the ages 70 to 74.


IndicatorName: Population ages 70-74, male

Longdefinition: Male population between the ages 70 to 74.


IndicatorName: Population ages 75-79, female

Longdefinition: Female population between the ages 75 to 79.


IndicatorName: Population ages 75-79, male

Longdefinition: Male population between the ages 75 to 79.


IndicatorName: Population ages 80 and above, female

Longdefinition: Female population between the ages 80 and above.


IndicatorName: Population ages 80 and above, male

Longdefinition: Male population between the ages 80 and above.


IndicatorName: Age population, age 00, female

Longdefinition: Age population, female refers to female population at the specified age level. The geographical areas included in the data are the same as the data source.


IndicatorName: Age population, age 00, male

Longdefinition: Age population, male refers to male population at the specified age level. The geographical areas included in the data are the same as the data source.


IndicatorName: Age population, age 01, female

Shortdefinition: Age population, female refers to female population at the specified age level.


IndicatorName: Age population, age 01, male

Shortdefinition: Age population, male refers to male population at the specified age level.


IndicatorName: Age population, age 02, female


IndicatorName: Age population, age 02, male


IndicatorName: Age population, age 03, female


IndicatorName: Age population, age 03, male


IndicatorName: Age population, age 04, female


IndicatorName: Age population, age 04, male


IndicatorName: Age population, age 05, female


IndicatorName: Age population, age 05, male


IndicatorName: Sex ratio at birth (male births per female births)

Longdefinition: Sex ratio at birth refers to male births per female births.


Developmentrelevance: Patterns of development in a country are partly determined by the age composition of its population. Different age groups have different impacts on both the environment and on infrastructure needs.  Therefore the age structure of a population is useful for analyzing resource use and formulating future policy and planning goals  with regards infrastructure and development.

Generalcomments: Relevance to gender indicator: this indicator implies the dependency burden that the working-age population bears in relation to children and the elderly. Many times single or widowed women who are the sole caregiver of a household have a high dependency ratio.

IndicatorName: Age dependency ratio (% of working-age population)

Longdefinition: Age dependency ratio is the ratio of dependents--people younger than 15 or older than 64--to the working-age population--those ages 15-64. Data are shown as the proportion of dependents per 100 working-age population.

Source: World Bank staff estimates based on age distributions of United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2024 Revision.

Statisticalconceptandmethodology:
Dependency ratios capture variations in the proportions of children, elderly people, and working-age people in the population that imply the dependency burden that the working-age population bears in relation to children and the elderly. But dependency ratios show only the age composition of a population, not economic dependency. Some children and elderly people are part of the labor force, and many working-age people are not.

Age structure in the World Bank's population estimates is based on the age structure in United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects. For more information, see the original source.


Developmentrelevance: Increases in human population, whether as a result of immigration or more births than deaths, can impact natural resources and social infrastructure.  This can place pressure on a country's sustainability.  A significant growth in population will negatively impact the availability of land for agricultural production, and will aggravate demand for food, energy, water, social services, and infrastructure. On the other hand, decreasing population size - a result of fewer births than deaths, and people moving out of a country - can impact a government's commitment to maintain services and infrastructure.

Generalcomments: Relevance to gender indicator: disaggregating the population composition by gender will help a country in projecting its demand for social services on a gender basis.

IndicatorName: Population, total

Limitationsandexceptions:
Current population estimates for developing countries that lack (i) reliable recent census data, and (ii) pre- and post-census estimates for countries with census data, are provided by the United Nations Population Division and other agencies.

The cohort component method - a standard method for estimating and projecting population - requires fertility, mortality, and net migration data, often collected from sample surveys, which can be small or limited in coverage. Population estimates are from demographic modeling and so are susceptible to biases and errors from shortcomings in both the model and the data.

Because future trends cannot be known with certainty, population projections have a wide range of uncertainty.

Longdefinition: Total population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship. The values shown are midyear estimates.

Source: (1) United Nations Population Division. World Population Prospects: 2024 Revision; (2) Statistical databases and publications from national statistical offices; (3) Eurostat: Demographic Statistics; (4) United Nations Statistics Division. Population and Vital Statistics Report (various years).

Statisticalconceptandmethodology:
Population estimates are usually based on national population censuses, and estimates of fertility, mortality and migration.

Errors and undercounting in census occur even in high-income countries.  In developing countries errors may be substantial because of limits in the transport, communications, and other resources required to conduct and analyze a full census.

The quality and reliability of official demographic data are also affected by public trust in the government, government commitment to full and accurate enumeration, confidentiality and protection against misuse of census data, and census agencies' independence from political influence. Moreover, comparability of population indicators is limited by differences in the concepts, definitions, collection procedures, and estimation methods used by national statistical agencies and other organizations that collect the data.

The currentness of a census and the availability of complementary data from surveys or registration systems are objective ways to judge demographic data quality. Some European countries' registration systems offer complete information on population in the absence of a census.

The United Nations Statistics Division monitors the completeness of vital registration systems. Some developing countries have made progress over the last 60 years, but others still have deficiencies in civil registration systems.

International migration is the only other factor besides birth and death rates that directly determines a country's population change. Estimating migration is difficult. At any time many people are located outside their home country as tourists, workers, or refugees or for other reasons. Standards for the duration and purpose of international moves that qualify as migration vary, and estimates require information on flows into and out of countries that is difficult to collect.

Population projections, starting from a base year are projected forward using assumptions of mortality, fertility, and migration by age and sex through 2050, based on the UN Population Division's World Population Prospects database medium variant.


IndicatorName: Population, female

Longdefinition: Female population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all female residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.


Developmentrelevance: Females comprise almost one-half of the world population.  Female population relative to male population is a primary demographic indicator, reflecting historical events such as wars and the socio-demographic and ethno-cultural characteristics of the population.

IndicatorName: Population, female (% of total population)

Longdefinition: Female population is the percentage of the population that is female. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.

Source: World Bank staff estimates based on age/sex distributions of United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects: 2024 Revision.

Statisticalconceptandmethodology: Population structure by age and sex in the World Bank's estimates is based on the population structure by age and sex in United Nations Population Division's World Population Prospects. For more information, see the original source.


IndicatorName: Population, male

Longdefinition: Male population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all male residents regardless of legal status or citizenship.


Developmentrelevance: Society typically first acknowledges a child’s existence and identity through birth registration. The right to be recognized as a person before the law is a critical step in ensuring lifelong protection and is a prerequisite for exercising all other rights. A birth certificate, issued following birth registration, is an important identity document for children. Birth registration also serves a statistical purpose. Universal birth registration is an essential part of a system of vital statistics, which tracks the major milestones in a person’s life - from birth to marriage and death. Such data are essential for planning and implementing development policies and programs, particularly in health, education, housing, water and sanitation, employment, agriculture and industrial production. The proportion of children under 5 years of age whose births have been registered with a civil authority is the official indicator for SDG Target 16.9, which sets out to “By 2030, provide legal identity for all, including birth registration”.

Generalcomments: This is a sex-disaggregated indicator for Sustainable Development Goal 16.9.1 [https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/metadata/].

IndicatorName: Completeness of birth registration, female (%)

Limitationsandexceptions:
Data on the prevalence of birth registration is collected mainly through censuses, civil registration systems (CRVS) and household surveys. Civil registration systems that are functioning effectively compile vital statistics that are used to compare the estimated total number of births in a country with the absolute number of registered births during a given period. However, the systematic recording of births in many countries remains a serious challenge. In the absence of reliable administrative data, household surveys have become a key source of data to monitor levels and trends in birth registration. In most low- and middle-income countries, such surveys represent the sole source of this information.

Substantial differences can exist between CRVS coverage and birth registration levels as captured by household surveys. The differences are primarily because data from CRVS typically refer to the percentage of all births that have been registered (often within a specific timeframe) whereas household surveys often represent the percentage of children under age five whose births are registered. The latter (the level of registration among children under 5) is specified in the SDG indicator (16.9).

Longdefinition: Completeness of birth registration is the percentage of children under age 5 whose births were registered at the time of the survey. The numerator of completeness of birth registration includes children whose birth certificate was seen by the interviewer or whose mother or caretaker says the birth has been registered.

Source: Household surveys such as Demographic and Health Surveys and Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys.  Largely compiled by UNICEF.

Statisticalconceptandmethodology:
Birth registration refers to the permanent and official recording of a child's existence by some administrative levels of the State that is normally coordinated by a particular branch of the government.

Birth registration estimates are primarily drawn from nationally representative household surveys such as the Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS) and Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS). Other data sources include other national surveys, censuses and vital statistics from civil registration systems, and estimated coverage of birth registration within national civil registration systems from the United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD).


IndicatorName: Completeness of birth registration, male (%)


Generalcomments: This is the Sustainable Development Goal indicator 16.9.1 [https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/metadata/].

IndicatorName: Completeness of birth registration (%)


IndicatorName: Rural population, female (% of total)

Limitationsandexceptions: Because the urban and rural population by sex is based on the 2014 revision of World Urbanization Prospects (WUP) for urban and rural population and the 2012 revision of World Population Prospects (WPP) for total population by age and sex, the data for urban and rural population by sex is not comparable and consistent with the total population data presented in the World Development Indicators database which is based on the 2015 World Population Prospects

Longdefinition: Female rural population is the percentage of females who live in rural areas to total population.

Source: The United Nations Population Division's World Urbanization Prospects.

Statisticalconceptandmethodology: Estimates of the United Nations urban and rural population by sex is based on the 2014 revision of World Urbanization Prospects (WUP) for urban and rural population and the 2012 revision of World Population Prospects (WPP) for total population by age and sex for all countries or territories in the world.


IndicatorName: Rural population, male (% of total)

Longdefinition: Male rural population is the percentage males who live in rural areas to total population.