The unemployment rate in Angola fell to 20.1% in the fourth quarter of 2025, a decrease of 6.8 percentage points compared to the previous quarter, with 2.2 million unemployed individuals currently reported. The INE indicated that the working-age population was estimated at 22,424,975 individuals.
Out of this total, 8.8 million—the employed population—reported having worked during the reference period, either for others, self-employed, or in a family business. The economically active population was estimated at 11.1 million people, while those outside the labor force (not seeking jobs and not wanting to work) was estimated at 11.3 million individuals.
According to the survey, 6.9 million people have informal jobs in Angola, with the informal employment rate set at 78.6%, highlighting the informality of the Angolan economy. The overall employment rate was estimated at 39.6%, mostly in urban areas.
At least 8.8 million people in Angola are employed, of which 4.6 million are men and 4.1 million are women. Data indicate that the age groups 25-34, 35-44, and 45-54 years old represent the largest segments of employed individuals in the country.
The analysis shows that the majority of employed individuals during this period were working in wholesale and retail trade and repair (33%), followed by agriculture, forestry, and fishing (16.8%), and transportation and storage (6.2%).
The study also includes data on underemployment related to hours worked—the total number of employed individuals who worked less than 35 hours per week and reported being available to work more hours in another paid activity—estimated at 4.7% of the employed population.
Labor underutilization (the mismatch between labor supply and demand) was estimated at 46.9% in the last quarter of 2025, affecting women more than men.
Adilson Muhongo, head of the Labor Statistics Domain at the INE, who presented the IEA, emphasized that this survey is the first conducted under the new resolutions resulting from conferences organized by the International Labour Organization (ILO).
According to the INE, with this edition of the IEA, a new statistical series begins in this segment, and “the results now presented are not directly comparable with data produced under the previous methodology.”
