Employment in the elementary occupation group, aged 15-64, primary in South Africa

South Africa: Employment in the elementary occupation group, aged 15-64, primary was 0.5% in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
0.5%
Change on year
down 1.6%
World rank
12th
of 85 countries
All-time high
0.6%
in 1995
All-time low
0.4%
in 2007
Years of data
20
1995–2020

Employment in the elementary occupation group, aged 15-64, primary in South Africa, 1995–2020

00.20.40.61995200720201995: 0.591 % of employed population with low education in working age2000: 0.454 % of employed population with low education in working age2001: 0.502 % of employed population with low education in working age2002: 0.4 % of employed population with low education in working age2003: 0.581 % of employed population with low education in working age2004: 0.589 % of employed population with low education in working age2006: 0.401 % of employed population with low education in working age2007: 0.388 % of employed population with low education in working age2008: 0.453 % of employed population with low education in working age2009: 0.46 % of employed population with low education in working age2010: 0.457 % of employed population with low education in working age2011: 0.463 % of employed population with low education in working age2013: 0.463 % of employed population with low education in working age2014: 0.462 % of employed population with low education in working age2015: 0.49 % of employed population with low education in working age2016: 0.473 % of employed population with low education in working age2017: 0.465 % of employed population with low education in working age2018: 0.468 % of employed population with low education in working age2019: 0.469 % of employed population with low education in working age2020: 0.462 % of employed population with low education in working age

Source: World Bank. Measured in % of employed population with low education in working age.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 0.5% for employment in the elementary occupation group, aged 15-64, primary in 2020.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.6% on the previous year and up 1.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, employment in the elementary occupation group, aged 15-64, primary in South Africa peaked at 0.6% in 1995 and was at its lowest, 0.4%, in 2007.

That places South Africa 12th out of 85 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top quarter.

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

Employment in the elementary occupation group, aged 15-64, primary in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Employment in the elementary occupation group, aged 15-64, primary education and below (% of employed population with low education in working age) in South Africa, 1995 to 2020.
Year % of employed population with low education in working age Change
1995 0.6%
2000 0.5% -23.2%
2001 0.5% +10.7%
2002 0.4% -20.3%
2003 0.6% +45.2%
2004 0.6% +1.3%
2006 0.4% -31.9%
2007 0.4% -3.3%
2008 0.5% +16.8%
2009 0.5% +1.6%
2010 0.5% -0.6%
2011 0.5% +1.2%
2013 0.5% -0.0%
2014 0.5% -0.1%
2015 0.5% +6.0%
2016 0.5% -3.6%
2017 0.5% -1.6%
2018 0.5% +0.7%
2019 0.5% +0.2%
2020 0.5% -1.6%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 0.6% 0.6% 0.6% 1
2000s 0.5% 0.4% 0.6% 9
2010s 0.5% 0.5% 0.5% 9
2020s 0.5% 0.5% 0.5% 1

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 9 Nicaragua 0.5% compare
  2. 10 United Kingdom 0.5% compare
  3. 11 Nigeria 0.5% compare
  4. 13 Peru 0.5% compare
  5. 14 Costa Rica 0.5% compare
  6. 15 Lithuania 0.4% compare

See the full ranking of 85 places →

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is employment in the elementary occupation group, aged 15-64, primary in South Africa?
Employment in the elementary occupation group, aged 15-64, primary in South Africa was 0.5% in 2020, according to the World Bank.
What is the highest employment in the elementary occupation group, aged 15-64, primary recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 0.6% in 1995.
What is the lowest employment in the elementary occupation group, aged 15-64, primary recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 0.4% in 2007.
How does South Africa rank for employment in the elementary occupation group, aged 15-64, primary?
South Africa ranks 12th out of 85 countries with data for 2020.
Is employment in the elementary occupation group, aged 15-64, primary rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 1.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from the World Bank, published as part of Employment in the elementary occupation group, aged 15-64, primary education and below (% of employed population with low education in working age). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Employment in the elementary occupation group, aged 15-64, primary in South Africa. Statizoid. Retrieved 28 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/employment-in-the-elementary-occupation-group-aged-15-64-primary-education-and-below/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Employment in the elementary occupation group, aged 15-64, primary education and below (% of employed population with low education in working age)
Unit
% of employed population with low education in working age
Source
World Bank
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
85 places, 1,088 data points, 1970–2021
Last refreshed