Employment rate, aged 15-64, urban in South Africa

South Africa: Employment rate, aged 15-64, urban was 0.7% in 2020. ▬ Flat

Latest (2020)
0.7%
Change on year
up 0.1%
World rank
93rd
of 97 countries
All-time high
0.8%
in 2008
All-time low
0.6%
in 2002
Years of data
19
1995–2020

Employment rate, aged 15-64, urban in South Africa, 1995–2020

00.20.40.60.81995200720201995: 0.774 % of urban labor force in working age2000: 0.732 % of urban labor force in working age2001: 0.724 % of urban labor force in working age2002: 0.616 % of urban labor force in working age2003: 0.718 % of urban labor force in working age2004: 0.725 % of urban labor force in working age2008: 0.789 % of urban labor force in working age2009: 0.773 % of urban labor force in working age2010: 0.759 % of urban labor force in working age2011: 0.758 % of urban labor force in working age2012: 0.758 % of urban labor force in working age2013: 0.755 % of urban labor force in working age2014: 0.751 % of urban labor force in working age2015: 0.75 % of urban labor force in working age2016: 0.735 % of urban labor force in working age2017: 0.735 % of urban labor force in working age2018: 0.739 % of urban labor force in working age2019: 0.724 % of urban labor force in working age2020: 0.724 % of urban labor force in working age

Source: World Bank. Measured in % of urban labor force in working age.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 0.7% for employment rate, aged 15-64, urban in 2020.

The figure is up 0.1% on the previous year and down 4.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, employment rate, aged 15-64, urban in South Africa peaked at 0.8% in 2008 and was at its lowest, 0.6%, in 2002.

South Africa ranks 93rd of 97 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

Employment rate, aged 15-64, urban in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Employment rate, aged 15-64, urban (% of urban labor force in working age) in South Africa, 1995 to 2020.
Year % of urban labor force in working age Change
1995 0.8%
2000 0.7% -5.5%
2001 0.7% -1.0%
2002 0.6% -15.0%
2003 0.7% +16.6%
2004 0.7% +0.9%
2008 0.8% +8.9%
2009 0.8% -2.1%
2010 0.8% -1.8%
2011 0.8% -0.1%
2012 0.8% +0.0%
2013 0.8% -0.4%
2014 0.8% -0.5%
2015 0.7% -0.2%
2016 0.7% -1.9%
2017 0.7% -0.1%
2018 0.7% +0.6%
2019 0.7% -2.1%
2020 0.7% +0.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 0.8% 0.8% 0.8% 1
2000s 0.7% 0.6% 0.8% 7
2010s 0.7% 0.7% 0.8% 10
2020s 0.7% 0.7% 0.7% 1

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 90 Croatia 0.8% compare
  2. 91 Spain 0.8% compare
  3. 92 Greece 0.7% compare
  4. 94 Djibouti 0.7% compare
  5. 95 Kosovo 0.6% compare
  6. 95 Kosovo (UNSCR 1244) 0.6% compare

See the full ranking of 97 places →

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is employment rate, aged 15-64, urban in South Africa?
Employment rate, aged 15-64, urban in South Africa was 0.7% in 2020, according to the World Bank.
What is the highest employment rate, aged 15-64, urban recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 0.8% in 2008.
What is the lowest employment rate, aged 15-64, urban recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 0.6% in 2002.
How does South Africa rank for employment rate, aged 15-64, urban?
South Africa ranks 93rd out of 97 countries with data for 2020.
Is employment rate, aged 15-64, urban rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 4.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from the World Bank, published as part of Employment rate, aged 15-64, urban (% of urban labor force in working age). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Employment rate, aged 15-64, urban in South Africa. Statizoid. Retrieved 12 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/employment-rate-aged-15-64-urban-percent-of-urban-labor-force-in-working-age/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Employment rate, aged 15-64, urban (% of urban labor force in working age)
Unit
% of urban labor force in working age
Source
World Bank
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
97 places, 1,339 data points, 1970–2021
Last refreshed