Labor force participation rate, aged 15-24 in South Africa

South Africa: Labor force participation rate, aged 15-24 was 0.2% in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
0.2%
Change on year
down 18.7%
World rank
106th
of 108 countries
All-time high
0.5%
in 2002
All-time low
0.2%
in 2020
Years of data
21
1995–2020

Labor force participation rate, aged 15-24 in South Africa, 1995–2020

00.10.20.30.40.51995200720201995: 0.288 % of labor force aged 15-242000: 0.303 % of labor force aged 15-242001: 0.313 % of labor force aged 15-242002: 0.455 % of labor force aged 15-242003: 0.274 % of labor force aged 15-242004: 0.274 % of labor force aged 15-242006: 0.419 % of labor force aged 15-242007: 0.422 % of labor force aged 15-242008: 0.307 % of labor force aged 15-242009: 0.281 % of labor force aged 15-242010: 0.261 % of labor force aged 15-242011: 0.255 % of labor force aged 15-242012: 0.254 % of labor force aged 15-242013: 0.258 % of labor force aged 15-242014: 0.253 % of labor force aged 15-242015: 0.266 % of labor force aged 15-242016: 0.264 % of labor force aged 15-242017: 0.269 % of labor force aged 15-242018: 0.254 % of labor force aged 15-242019: 0.257 % of labor force aged 15-242020: 0.209 % of labor force aged 15-24

Source: World Bank. Measured in % of labor force aged 15-24.

Analysis

In 2020, labor force participation rate, aged 15-24 in South Africa stood at 0.2%. That is the lowest value across all 21 years on record.

The figure is down 18.7% on the previous year and down 20.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, labor force participation rate, aged 15-24 in South Africa peaked at 0.5% in 2002 and was at its lowest, 0.2%, in 2020.

That places South Africa 106th out of 108 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 21 years of available data.

Labor force participation rate, aged 15-24 in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Labor force participation rate, aged 15-24 (% of labor force aged 15-24) in South Africa, 1995 to 2020.
Year % of labor force aged 15-24 Change
1995 0.3%
2000 0.3% +5.3%
2001 0.3% +3.2%
2002 0.5% +45.2%
2003 0.3% -39.7%
2004 0.3% -0.0%
2006 0.4% +53.0%
2007 0.4% +0.6%
2008 0.3% -27.2%
2009 0.3% -8.6%
2010 0.3% -6.9%
2011 0.3% -2.5%
2012 0.3% -0.4%
2013 0.3% +1.5%
2014 0.3% -1.8%
2015 0.3% +5.3%
2016 0.3% -0.7%
2017 0.3% +1.7%
2018 0.3% -5.4%
2019 0.3% +1.1%
2020 0.2% -18.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 1
2000s 0.3% 0.3% 0.5% 9
2010s 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 10
2020s 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 1

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 103 Montenegro 0.2% compare
  2. 104 Egypt 0.2% compare
  3. 105 Jordan 0.2% compare
  4. 107 Slovenia 0.2% compare
  5. 108 Djibouti 0.1% compare

See the full ranking of 108 places →

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is labor force participation rate, aged 15-24 in South Africa?
Labor force participation rate, aged 15-24 in South Africa was 0.2% in 2020, according to the World Bank.
What is the highest labor force participation rate, aged 15-24 recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 0.5% in 2002.
What is the lowest labor force participation rate, aged 15-24 recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 0.2% in 2020.
How does South Africa rank for labor force participation rate, aged 15-24?
South Africa ranks 106th out of 108 countries with data for 2020.
Is labor force participation rate, aged 15-24 rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 20.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from the World Bank, published as part of Labor force participation rate, aged 15-24 (% of labor force aged 15-24). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Labor force participation rate, aged 15-24 in South Africa. Statizoid. Retrieved 05 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/labor-force-participation-rate-aged-15-24-percent-of-labor-force-aged-15-24/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Labor force participation rate, aged 15-24 (% of labor force aged 15-24)
Unit
% of labor force aged 15-24
Source
World Bank
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
108 places, 1,528 data points, 1970–2021
Last refreshed