Average age of wage workers, aged 15-64, urban in South Africa

South Africa: Average age of wage workers, aged 15-64, urban was 39.39 in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
39.39
Change on year
up 1.1%
World rank
44th
of 94 countries
All-time high
39.39
in 2020
All-time low
36.7
in 1995
Years of data
19
1995–2020

Average age of wage workers, aged 15-64, urban in South Africa, 1995–2020

0102030401995200720201995: 36.72000: 37.32001: 37.12002: 36.92003: 37.32004: 37.32008: 36.92009: 37.32010: 37.62011: 37.72012: 37.82013: 37.92014: 38.22015: 382016: 38.32017: 38.52018: 38.72019: 38.92020: 39.4

Source: World Bank.

Analysis

The most recent figure for average age of wage workers, aged 15-64, urban in South Africa is 39.39, measured in 2020. That is the highest value across all 19 years on record.

That represents a change of up 1.1% on the previous year and up 4.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, average age of wage workers, aged 15-64, urban in South Africa peaked at 39.39 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 36.7, in 1995.

That places South Africa 44th out of 94 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 19 years of available data.

Average age of wage workers, aged 15-64, urban in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Average age of wage workers, aged 15-64, urban in South Africa, 1995 to 2020.
Year Value Change
1995 36.7
2000 37.3 +1.6%
2001 37.13 -0.5%
2002 36.86 -0.7%
2003 37.27 +1.1%
2004 37.25 -0.1%
2008 36.87 -1.0%
2009 37.35 +1.3%
2010 37.61 +0.7%
2011 37.72 +0.3%
2012 37.83 +0.3%
2013 37.88 +0.1%
2014 38.19 +0.8%
2015 38.04 -0.4%
2016 38.34 +0.8%
2017 38.46 +0.3%
2018 38.67 +0.6%
2019 38.94 +0.7%
2020 39.39 +1.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 36.7 36.7 36.7 1
2000s 37.15 36.86 37.35 7
2010s 38.17 37.61 38.94 10
2020s 39.39 39.39 39.39 1

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 41 Tunisia 39.66 compare
  2. 42 Chile 39.64 compare
  3. 43 Uruguay 39.56 compare
  4. 45 Djibouti 39.37 compare
  5. 46 Sri Lanka 39.28 compare
  6. 47 Argentina 39.26 compare

See the full ranking of 94 places →

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is average age of wage workers, aged 15-64, urban in South Africa?
Average age of wage workers, aged 15-64, urban in South Africa was 39.39 in 2020, according to the World Bank.
What is the highest average age of wage workers, aged 15-64, urban recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 39.39 in 2020.
What is the lowest average age of wage workers, aged 15-64, urban recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 36.7 in 1995.
How does South Africa rank for average age of wage workers, aged 15-64, urban?
South Africa ranks 44th out of 94 countries with data for 2020.
Is average age of wage workers, aged 15-64, urban rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 4.7%. 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 wage workers, aged 15-64, urban. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Average age of wage workers, aged 15-64, urban in South Africa. Statizoid. Retrieved 24 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/average-age-of-wage-workers-aged-15-64-urban/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Average age of wage workers, aged 15-64, urban
Source
World Bank
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
94 places, 1,307 data points, 1970–2021
Last refreshed