Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in South Africa
South Africa: Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates was 32.3% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in South Africa, 1995–2024
Source: Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in South Africa stood at 32.3%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.6% on the previous year and up 29.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in South Africa peaked at 43.8% in 1995 and was at its lowest, 22.4%, in 2008.
That places South Africa 2nd out of 185 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 29 years of available data.
Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 43.8% | — |
| 1997 | 35.1% | -19.8% |
| 1998 | 25.0% | -28.8% |
| 1999 | 25.4% | +1.5% |
| 2000 | 29.9% | +17.8% |
| 2001 | 30.7% | +2.7% |
| 2002 | 33.3% | +8.5% |
| 2003 | 32.3% | -2.9% |
| 2004 | 29.5% | -8.8% |
| 2005 | 29.1% | -1.1% |
| 2006 | 28.3% | -2.7% |
| 2007 | 26.5% | -6.4% |
| 2008 | 22.4% | -15.6% |
| 2009 | 23.5% | +5.0% |
| 2010 | 24.7% | +4.9% |
| 2011 | 24.6% | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 24.7% | +0.4% |
| 2013 | 24.6% | -0.7% |
| 2014 | 24.9% | +1.3% |
| 2015 | 25.1% | +1.0% |
| 2016 | 26.5% | +5.5% |
| 2017 | 27.0% | +1.9% |
| 2018 | 26.9% | -0.5% |
| 2019 | 28.5% | +5.8% |
| 2020 | 29.2% | +2.6% |
| 2021 | 34.0% | +16.4% |
| 2022 | 33.3% | -2.2% |
| 2023 | 32.1% | -3.5% |
| 2024 | 32.3% | +0.6% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 32.3% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 5.8%, 5.5× the median. (52 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 32.3% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 5.6%, 5.8× the median. (33 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in South Africa changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | -28.8% | 35.1% | 25.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 32.3% | 25.0% | 43.8% | 4 |
| 2000s | 28.6% | 22.4% | 33.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 25.8% | 24.6% | 28.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 32.2% | 29.2% | 34.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More reference data data for South Africa
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.5111 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 8.71 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 13.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.7468 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 13.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.71 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.49 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 41.1 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 63.65 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 4.07 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in South Africa?
- Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates in South Africa was 32.3% in 2024, according to Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 43.8% in 1995.
- What is the lowest unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 22.4% in 2008.
- How does South Africa rank for unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates?
- South Africa ranks 2nd out of 185 countries with data for 2024.
- Is unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 29.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Unemployment rates: modeled vs. national estimates. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 29 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of the labor force without work, but actively looking for a job and available to start soon. Figures refer to national estimates and may not be fully comparable across countries.