South Africa vs Upper middle income: Unemployment rate,Percent
South Africa
32.4%
in 2025
Upper middle income
7.3%
in 2025
South Africa rank
1st
Upper middle income rank
4th
Unemployment rate,Percent over time
- South Africa
- Upper middle income
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 32.4% against 7.3% in Upper middle income, a difference of 25.1%.
That makes South Africa's figure about 4.4 times Upper middle income's.
Across all 23 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.
South Africa ranks 1st and Upper middle income ranks 4th of 71 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Upper middle income | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 24.9% | 6.9% | 18.0% | South Africa |
| 2010s | 26.0% | 8.7% | 17.2% | South Africa |
| 2020s | 32.7% | 8.1% | 24.6% | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher unemployment rate,percent, South Africa or Upper middle income?
- South Africa, at 32.4% against 7.3% in Upper middle income as of 2025.
- What is the difference in unemployment rate,percent between South Africa and Upper middle income?
- 25.1%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Upper middle income?
- 23 years are reported by both, from 2001 to 2025.
- How do South Africa and Upper middle income rank globally for unemployment rate,percent?
- South Africa ranks 1st and Upper middle income ranks 4th of 71 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- The World Bank, published as Unemployment rate,Percent,,,. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.