Labor force participation rate, aged 15-64, male in South Africa

South Africa: Labor force participation rate, aged 15-64, male was 0.6% in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
0.6%
Change on year
down 7.8%
World rank
106th
of 108 countries
All-time high
0.7%
in 2002
All-time low
0.6%
in 2020
Years of data
21
1995–2020

Labor force participation rate, aged 15-64, male in South Africa, 1995–2020

00.20.40.60.81995200720201995: 0.683 % of male labor force in working age2000: 0.657 % of male labor force in working age2001: 0.657 % of male labor force in working age2002: 0.735 % of male labor force in working age2003: 0.615 % of male labor force in working age2004: 0.621 % of male labor force in working age2006: 0.723 % of male labor force in working age2007: 0.728 % of male labor force in working age2008: 0.672 % of male labor force in working age2009: 0.652 % of male labor force in working age2010: 0.633 % of male labor force in working age2011: 0.628 % of male labor force in working age2012: 0.633 % of male labor force in working age2013: 0.634 % of male labor force in working age2014: 0.637 % of male labor force in working age2015: 0.651 % of male labor force in working age2016: 0.654 % of male labor force in working age2017: 0.661 % of male labor force in working age2018: 0.656 % of male labor force in working age2019: 0.658 % of male labor force in working age2020: 0.607 % of male labor force in working age

Source: World Bank. Measured in % of male labor force in working age.

Analysis

The most recent figure for labor force participation rate, aged 15-64, male in South Africa is 0.6%, measured in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 21 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 7.8% on the previous year and down 4.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, labor force participation rate, aged 15-64, male in South Africa peaked at 0.7% in 2002 and was at its lowest, 0.6%, 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 15-64, male in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Labor force participation rate, aged 15-64, male (% of male labor force in working age) in South Africa, 1995 to 2020.
Year % of male labor force in working age Change
1995 0.7%
2000 0.7% -3.8%
2001 0.7% +0.0%
2002 0.7% +11.8%
2003 0.6% -16.3%
2004 0.6% +1.0%
2006 0.7% +16.5%
2007 0.7% +0.7%
2008 0.7% -7.8%
2009 0.7% -2.9%
2010 0.6% -2.9%
2011 0.6% -0.8%
2012 0.6% +0.8%
2013 0.6% +0.2%
2014 0.6% +0.5%
2015 0.7% +2.2%
2016 0.7% +0.4%
2017 0.7% +1.1%
2018 0.7% -0.8%
2019 0.7% +0.3%
2020 0.6% -7.8%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 0.7% 0.7% 0.7% 1
2000s 0.7% 0.6% 0.7% 9
2010s 0.6% 0.6% 0.7% 10
2020s 0.6% 0.6% 0.6% 1

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 103 Gambia 0.6% compare
  2. 104 Namibia 0.6% compare
  3. 105 Rwanda 0.6% compare
  4. 107 Jordan 0.6% compare
  5. 108 Djibouti 0.5% 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 15-64, male in South Africa?
Labor force participation rate, aged 15-64, male in South Africa was 0.6% in 2020, according to the World Bank.
What is the highest labor force participation rate, aged 15-64, male recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 0.7% in 2002.
What is the lowest labor force participation rate, aged 15-64, male recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 0.6% in 2020.
How does South Africa rank for labor force participation rate, aged 15-64, male?
South Africa ranks 106th out of 108 countries with data for 2020.
Is labor force participation rate, aged 15-64, male rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 4.2%. 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 15-64, male (% of male labor force in working age). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Labor force participation rate, aged 15-64, male in South Africa. Statizoid. Retrieved 12 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/labor-force-participation-rate-aged-15-64-male-percent-of-male-labor-force-in-working-age/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Labor force participation rate, aged 15-64, male (% of male labor force in working age)
Unit
% of male labor force in working age
Source
World Bank
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
108 places, 1,528 data points, 1970–2021
Last refreshed