Employment to population ratio, aged 15-64, above primary education in South Africa

South Africa: Employment to population ratio, aged 15-64, above primary education was 0.5% in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
0.5%
Change on year
down 7.9%
World rank
90th
of 107 countries
All-time high
0.6%
in 2008
All-time low
0.4%
in 2003
Years of data
20
1995–2020

Employment to population ratio, aged 15-64, above primary education in South Africa, 1995–2020

00.20.40.61995200720201995: 0.438 % of population with high education in working age2000: 0.431 % of population with high education in working age2001: 0.43 % of population with high education in working age2002: 0.402 % of population with high education in working age2003: 0.4 % of population with high education in working age2004: 0.401 % of population with high education in working age2006: 0.438 % of population with high education in working age2007: 0.451 % of population with high education in working age2008: 0.643 % of population with high education in working age2009: 0.616 % of population with high education in working age2010: 0.591 % of population with high education in working age2011: 0.591 % of population with high education in working age2013: 0.593 % of population with high education in working age2014: 0.585 % of population with high education in working age2015: 0.589 % of population with high education in working age2016: 0.585 % of population with high education in working age2017: 0.588 % of population with high education in working age2018: 0.575 % of population with high education in working age2019: 0.564 % of population with high education in working age2020: 0.52 % of population with high education in working age

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for employment to population ratio, aged 15-64, above primary education in South Africa is 0.5%, measured in 2020.

That represents a change of down 7.9% on the previous year and down 12.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, employment to population ratio, aged 15-64, above primary education in South Africa peaked at 0.6% in 2008 and was at its lowest, 0.4%, in 2003.

South Africa ranks 90th of 107 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

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

Employment to population ratio, aged 15-64, above primary education in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Employment to population ratio, aged 15-64, above primary education (% of population with high education in working age) in South Africa, 1995 to 2020.
Year % of population with high education in working age Change
1995 0.4%
2000 0.4% -1.7%
2001 0.4% -0.3%
2002 0.4% -6.4%
2003 0.4% -0.5%
2004 0.4% +0.1%
2006 0.4% +9.3%
2007 0.5% +2.9%
2008 0.6% +42.5%
2009 0.6% -4.1%
2010 0.6% -4.2%
2011 0.6% +0.1%
2013 0.6% +0.2%
2014 0.6% -1.3%
2015 0.6% +0.7%
2016 0.6% -0.7%
2017 0.6% +0.4%
2018 0.6% -2.2%
2019 0.6% -1.9%
2020 0.5% -7.9%

Averages by decade

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

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 87 Albania 0.5% compare
  2. 88 Pakistan 0.5% compare
  3. 89 Guinea 0.5% compare
  4. 91 Sri Lanka 0.5% compare
  5. 92 Tajikistan 0.5% compare
  6. 93 Puerto Rico 0.5% compare

See the full ranking of 107 places →

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is employment to population ratio, aged 15-64, above primary education in South Africa?
Employment to population ratio, aged 15-64, above primary education in South Africa was 0.5% in 2020, according to the World Bank.
What is the highest employment to population ratio, aged 15-64, above primary education recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 0.6% in 2008.
What is the lowest employment to population ratio, aged 15-64, above primary education recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 0.4% in 2003.
How does South Africa rank for employment to population ratio, aged 15-64, above primary education?
South Africa ranks 90th out of 107 countries with data for 2020.
Is employment to population ratio, aged 15-64, above primary education rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 12.0%. 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 Employment to population ratio, aged 15-64, above primary education (% of population with high education in working age). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Employment to population ratio, aged 15-64, above primary education in South Africa. Statizoid. Retrieved 12 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/employment-to-population-ratio-aged-15-64-above-primary-education-percent-of-population/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Employment to population ratio, aged 15-64, above primary education (% of population with high education in working age)
Unit
% of population with high education in working age
Source
World Bank
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
107 places, 1,429 data points, 1970–2021
Last refreshed