Industry share of total emplyoment in South Africa
South Africa: Industry share of total emplyoment was 20.76 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
20.76
Change on year
down 0.2%
World rank
73rd
of 186 countries
All-time high
26.28
in 2004
All-time low
20.58
in 2023
Years of data
35
1991–2025
Industry share of total emplyoment in South Africa, 1991–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, industry share of total emplyoment in South Africa stood at 20.76.
That represents a change of down 0.2% on the previous year and down 12.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, industry share of total emplyoment in South Africa peaked at 26.28 in 2004 and was at its lowest, 20.58, in 2023.
South Africa ranks 73rd of 186 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Industry share of total emplyoment in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 24.64 | — |
| 1992 | 24.56 | -0.3% |
| 1993 | 24.5 | -0.3% |
| 1994 | 24.46 | -0.2% |
| 1995 | 24.43 | -0.1% |
| 1996 | 24.41 | -0.1% |
| 1997 | 24.41 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 24.49 | +0.3% |
| 1999 | 24.5 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 24.51 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 25.31 | +3.3% |
| 2002 | 25.84 | +2.1% |
| 2003 | 25.26 | -2.2% |
| 2004 | 26.28 | +4.1% |
| 2005 | 26.06 | -0.9% |
| 2006 | 26.08 | +0.1% |
| 2007 | 25.96 | -0.4% |
| 2008 | 25.88 | -0.3% |
| 2009 | 25.3 | -2.2% |
| 2010 | 24.76 | -2.1% |
| 2011 | 24.23 | -2.2% |
| 2012 | 23.51 | -2.9% |
| 2013 | 23.55 | +0.1% |
| 2014 | 23.46 | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 23.85 | +1.6% |
| 2016 | 23.36 | -2.0% |
| 2017 | 23.35 | -0.0% |
| 2018 | 23.16 | -0.8% |
| 2019 | 22.3 | -3.7% |
| 2020 | 21.2 | -5.0% |
| 2021 | 20.64 | -2.6% |
| 2022 | 21.1 | +2.2% |
| 2023 | 20.58 | -2.5% |
| 2024 | 20.81 | +1.1% |
| 2025 | 20.76 | -0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 24.49 | 24.41 | 24.64 | 9 |
| 2000s | 25.65 | 24.51 | 26.28 | 10 |
| 2010s | 23.55 | 22.3 | 24.76 | 10 |
| 2020s | 20.85 | 20.58 | 21.2 | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 70 Argentina 21.18 compare
- 71 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 21.13 compare
- 72 Finland 20.84 compare
- 74 New Caledonia 20.65 compare
- 75 Mauritius 20.62 compare
- 76 Brunei Darussalam 20.39 compare
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 industry share of total emplyoment in South Africa?
- Industry share of total emplyoment in South Africa was 20.76 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest industry share of total emplyoment recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 26.28 in 2004.
- What is the lowest industry share of total emplyoment recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 20.58 in 2023.
- How does South Africa rank for industry share of total emplyoment?
- South Africa ranks 73rd out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is industry share of total emplyoment rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 12.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Industry share of total emplyoment. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).