Employment in the public sector, aged 25-64 in South Africa

South Africa: Employment in the public sector, aged 25-64 was 0.2% in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
0.2%
Change on year
up 8.4%
World rank
19th
of 62 countries
All-time high
0.3%
in 2000
All-time low
0.1%
in 2008
Years of data
19
2000–2020

Employment in the public sector, aged 25-64 in South Africa, 2000–2020

00.10.20.32000201020202000: 0.259 % of employed population aged 25-642001: 0.251 % of employed population aged 25-642003: 0.24 % of employed population aged 25-642004: 0.175 % of employed population aged 25-642006: 0.178 % of employed population aged 25-642007: 0.2 % of employed population aged 25-642008: 0.14 % of employed population aged 25-642009: 0.148 % of employed population aged 25-642010: 0.151 % of employed population aged 25-642011: 0.155 % of employed population aged 25-642012: 0.164 % of employed population aged 25-642013: 0.165 % of employed population aged 25-642014: 0.168 % of employed population aged 25-642015: 0.169 % of employed population aged 25-642016: 0.164 % of employed population aged 25-642017: 0.163 % of employed population aged 25-642018: 0.166 % of employed population aged 25-642019: 0.16 % of employed population aged 25-642020: 0.173 % of employed population aged 25-64

Source: World Bank. Measured in % of employed population aged 25-64.

Analysis

In 2020, employment in the public sector, aged 25-64 in South Africa stood at 0.2%.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 8.4% on the previous year and up 14.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, employment in the public sector, aged 25-64 in South Africa peaked at 0.3% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 0.1%, in 2008.

That places South Africa 19th out of 62 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.

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

Employment in the public sector, aged 25-64 in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Employment in the public sector, aged 25-64 (% of employed population aged 25-64) in South Africa, 2000 to 2020.
Year % of employed population aged 25-64 Change
2000 0.3%
2001 0.3% -3.3%
2003 0.2% -4.4%
2004 0.2% -26.9%
2006 0.2% +1.7%
2007 0.2% +12.4%
2008 0.1% -30.0%
2009 0.1% +5.4%
2010 0.2% +2.1%
2011 0.2% +2.9%
2012 0.2% +5.6%
2013 0.2% +0.4%
2014 0.2% +2.0%
2015 0.2% +0.7%
2016 0.2% -3.3%
2017 0.2% -0.2%
2018 0.2% +1.3%
2019 0.2% -3.4%
2020 0.2% +8.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 0.2% 0.1% 0.3% 8
2010s 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 10
2020s 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 1

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 16 Albania 0.2% compare
  2. 17 Panama 0.2% compare
  3. 18 Tunisia 0.2% compare
  4. 20 Mauritius 0.2% compare
  5. 21 Mexico 0.2% compare
  6. 22 Sri Lanka 0.1% compare

See the full ranking of 62 places →

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is employment in the public sector, aged 25-64 in South Africa?
Employment in the public sector, aged 25-64 in South Africa was 0.2% in 2020, according to the World Bank.
What is the highest employment in the public sector, aged 25-64 recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 0.3% in 2000.
What is the lowest employment in the public sector, aged 25-64 recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 0.1% in 2008.
How does South Africa rank for employment in the public sector, aged 25-64?
South Africa ranks 19th out of 62 countries with data for 2020.
Is employment in the public sector, aged 25-64 rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 14.8%. 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 public sector, aged 25-64 (% of employed population aged 25-64). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Employment in the public sector, aged 25-64 in South Africa. Statizoid. Retrieved 11 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/employment-in-the-public-sector-aged-25-64-percent-of-employed-population-aged-25-64/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Employment in the public sector, aged 25-64 (% of employed population aged 25-64)
Unit
% of employed population aged 25-64
Source
World Bank
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
62 places, 713 data points, 1970–2021
Last refreshed