Average age of self-employed or unpaid workers, aged 15-64, above in South Africa

South Africa: Average age of self-employed or unpaid workers, aged 15-64, above was 39.51 in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
39.51
Change on year
down 0.8%
World rank
57th
of 104 countries
All-time high
39.98
in 1995
All-time low
29.9
in 2001
Years of data
20
1995–2020

Average age of self-employed or unpaid workers, aged 15-64, above in South Africa, 1995–2020

0102030401995200720201995: 402000: 30.12001: 29.92002: 31.32003: 31.52004: 34.22006: 33.32007: 38.12008: 37.42009: 382010: 37.52011: 38.72013: 39.42014: 39.12015: 39.92016: 39.52017: 39.32018: 39.82019: 39.82020: 39.5

Source: World Bank.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 39.51 for average age of self-employed or unpaid workers, aged 15-64, above in 2020.

That represents a change of down 0.8% on the previous year and up 5.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, average age of self-employed or unpaid workers, aged 15-64, above in South Africa peaked at 39.98 in 1995 and was at its lowest, 29.9, in 2001.

That places South Africa 57th out of 104 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 20 years of available data.

Average age of self-employed or unpaid workers, aged 15-64, above in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Average age of self-employed or unpaid workers, aged 15-64, above primary education in South Africa, 1995 to 2020.
Year Value Change
1995 39.98
2000 30.12 -24.7%
2001 29.9 -0.7%
2002 31.32 +4.8%
2003 31.46 +0.5%
2004 34.22 +8.8%
2006 33.34 -2.6%
2007 38.12 +14.3%
2008 37.42 -1.8%
2009 37.97 +1.5%
2010 37.47 -1.3%
2011 38.69 +3.3%
2013 39.39 +1.8%
2014 39.11 -0.7%
2015 39.9 +2.0%
2016 39.5 -1.0%
2017 39.34 -0.4%
2018 39.77 +1.1%
2019 39.83 +0.2%
2020 39.51 -0.8%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 39.98 39.98 39.98 1
2000s 33.76 29.9 38.12 9
2010s 39.22 37.47 39.9 9
2020s 39.51 39.51 39.51 1

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 54 Philippines 39.84 compare
  2. 55 Kyrgyzstan 39.67 compare
  3. 56 Albania 39.55 compare
  4. 58 Mexico 39.41 compare
  5. 59 Romania 39.34 compare
  6. 60 Thailand 38.64 compare

See the full ranking of 104 places →

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is average age of self-employed or unpaid workers, aged 15-64, above in South Africa?
Average age of self-employed or unpaid workers, aged 15-64, above in South Africa was 39.51 in 2020, according to the World Bank.
What is the highest average age of self-employed or unpaid workers, aged 15-64, above recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 39.98 in 1995.
What is the lowest average age of self-employed or unpaid workers, aged 15-64, above recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 29.9 in 2001.
How does South Africa rank for average age of self-employed or unpaid workers, aged 15-64, above?
South Africa ranks 57th out of 104 countries with data for 2020.
Is average age of self-employed or unpaid workers, aged 15-64, above rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 5.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from the World Bank, published as part of Average age of self-employed or unpaid workers, aged 15-64, above primary education. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Average age of self-employed or unpaid workers, aged 15-64, above in South Africa. Statizoid. Retrieved 01 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/average-age-of-self-employed-or-unpaid-workers-aged-15-64-above-primary-education/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Average age of self-employed or unpaid workers, aged 15-64, above primary education
Source
World Bank
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
104 places, 1,387 data points, 1970–2021
Last refreshed