Eswatini vs South Africa: Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates
Eswatini
34.3%
in 2023
South Africa
32.3%
in 2024
Eswatini rank
1st
South Africa rank
2nd
Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates over time
- Eswatini
- South Africa
How they compare
Eswatini currently reports 34.3% against 32.3% in South Africa, a difference of 2.0%.
That makes Eswatini's figure about 1.1 times South Africa's.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 6 shared years of data; in 1995 it was South Africa ahead.
Eswatini ranks 1st and South Africa ranks 2nd of 185 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Eswatini averaged higher in 2 and South Africa in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Eswatini | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 22.1% | 39.5% | 17.4% | South Africa |
| 2000s | 28.2% | 26.5% | 1.7% | Eswatini |
| 2010s | 22.7% | 26.5% | 3.8% | South Africa |
| 2020s | 34.0% | 33.1% | 1.0% | Eswatini |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates, Eswatini or South Africa?
- Eswatini, at 34.3% against 32.3% in South Africa as of 2023.
- What is the difference in unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates between Eswatini and South Africa?
- 2.0%, with Eswatini ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Eswatini and South Africa?
- 6 years are reported by both, from 1995 to 2023.
- How do Eswatini and South Africa rank globally for unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates?
- Eswatini ranks 1st and South Africa ranks 2nd of 185 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Share of the labor force without work, but actively looking for a job and available to start soon. Figures refer to national estimates and may not be fully comparable across countries.