Informal employment by sector and gender (% of total) in South Africa
South Africa: Informal employment by sector and gender (% of total) was 33.6% in 2018. ▲ Rising
Informal employment by sector and gender (% of total) in South Africa, 2008–2018
Source: UN Open Data Hub. Available at: https://unstats-undesa.opendata.arcgis.com/.
Analysis
The most recent figure for informal employment by sector and gender (% of total) in South Africa is 33.6%, measured in 2018. That is the highest value across all 11 years on record.
The figure is up 2.7% on the previous year and up 5.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, informal employment by sector and gender (% of total) in South Africa peaked at 33.6% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 29.5%, in 2012.
South Africa ranks 22nd of 27 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 11 years of available data.
Informal employment by sector and gender (% of total) in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 31.9% | — |
| 2009 | 30.2% | -5.4% |
| 2010 | 31.2% | +3.6% |
| 2011 | 30.4% | -2.7% |
| 2012 | 29.5% | -3.0% |
| 2013 | 29.7% | +1.0% |
| 2014 | 29.8% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 32.8% | +10.1% |
| 2016 | 32.7% | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 32.7% | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 33.6% | +2.7% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 33.6% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 53.6%, 63% of the median. (18 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 31.0% | 30.2% | 31.9% | 2 |
| 2010s | 31.4% | 29.5% | 33.6% | 9 |
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 informal employment by sector and gender (% of total) in South Africa?
- Informal employment by sector and gender (% of total) in South Africa was 33.6% in 2018, according to UN Open Data Hub. Available at: https://unstats-undesa.opendata.arcgis.com/.
- What is the highest informal employment by sector and gender (% of total) recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 33.6% in 2018.
- What is the lowest informal employment by sector and gender (% of total) recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 29.5% in 2012.
- How does South Africa rank for informal employment by sector and gender (% of total)?
- South Africa ranks 22nd out of 27 countries with data for 2018.
- Is informal employment by sector and gender (% of total) rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from UN Open Data Hub. Available at: https://unstats-undesa.opendata.arcgis.com/, published as part of Informal employment by sector and gender (% of total) - Non-agriculture - Male. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 11 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
This indicator presents the share of non-agriculture (male) employment which is classified as informal employment in the total economy. Data is taken from the United Nations Sustainable Goals, representing Indicator 8.3.1: Proportion of informal employment in total employment, by sector and sex.