workers in both contracted projects and labor services
Supplementary notes
Figures have been rounded.
The source notes the following:
"Includes Chinese workers sent to work on Chinese companies’ construction contracts in Africa ("workers on contracted projects") and Chinese workers hired for other labor services, such as working in factories ("workers doing labor services"). They are reported by Chinese contractors and do not include informal migrants such as traders and shopkeepers".
The source excluded data for Burkina Faso
Fmr. Sudan,
Libya,
Sao Tome & Principe,
Somalia, and
Eswatini.
As of 2021, there were nearly * Chinese workers in Africa, a decrease from the previous year when around ** of them worked under contracted projects and in labor services in the region. The count of the Chinese labor force in Africa fluctuated over the years under review, peaking in 2015, when more than ** employees were registered.
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SAIS China Africa Research Initiative. (March 21, 2023). Number of Chinese workers in Africa from 2009 to 2021 (in 1,000s) [Graph]. In ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ. Retrieved July 31, 2026, from /statistics/1259271/number-of-chinese-workers-in-africa/
SAIS China Africa Research Initiative. "Number of Chinese workers in Africa from 2009 to 2021 (in 1,000s)." Chart. March 21, 2023. ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ. Accessed July 31, 2026. /statistics/1259271/number-of-chinese-workers-in-africa/
SAIS China Africa Research Initiative. (2023). Number of Chinese workers in Africa from 2009 to 2021 (in 1,000s). ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ. ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ Inc.. Accessed: July 31, 2026. /statistics/1259271/number-of-chinese-workers-in-africa/
SAIS China Africa Research Initiative. "Number of Chinese Workers in Africa from 2009 to 2021 (in 1,000s)." ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ, ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ Inc., 21 Mar 2023, /statistics/1259271/number-of-chinese-workers-in-africa/
SAIS China Africa Research Initiative, Number of Chinese workers in Africa from 2009 to 2021 (in 1,000s) ÌÇÐÄÆƽâ°æ, /statistics/1259271/number-of-chinese-workers-in-africa/ (last visited July 31, 2026)
Number of Chinese workers in Africa from 2009 to 2021 (in 1,000s) [Graph], SAIS China Africa Research Initiative, March 21, 2023. [Online]. Available: /statistics/1259271/number-of-chinese-workers-in-africa/
