Number of public paid employees, by occupation: Teachers in South Africa

South Africa: Number of public paid employees, by occupation: Teachers was 931 in 2020. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2020)
931
Change on year
down 24.6%
World rank
9th
of 26 countries
All-time high
1,284
in 2016
All-time low
312
in 2017
Years of data
12
2008–2020

Number of public paid employees, by occupation: Teachers in South Africa, 2008–2020

4006008001.0k1.2k2008201420202008: 4502009: 5192010: 3802012: 3212013: 3902014: 6192015: 1.1k2016: 1.3k2017: 3122018: 1.1k2019: 1.2k2020: 931

Source: World Bank.

Analysis

The most recent figure for number of public paid employees, by occupation: teachers in South Africa is 931, measured in 2020.

That represents a change of down 24.6% on the previous year and up 145.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, number of public paid employees, by occupation: teachers in South Africa peaked at 1,284 in 2016 and was at its lowest, 312, in 2017.

That places South Africa 9th out of 26 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Number of public paid employees, by occupation: Teachers in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Number of public paid employees, by occupation: Teachers in South Africa, 2008 to 2020.
Year Value Change
2008 450
2009 519 +15.3%
2010 380 -26.8%
2012 321 -15.5%
2013 390 +21.5%
2014 619 +58.7%
2015 1,134 +83.2%
2016 1,284 +13.2%
2017 312 -75.7%
2018 1,127 +261.2%
2019 1,235 +9.6%
2020 931 -24.6%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 484.5 450 519 2
2010s 755.78 312 1,284 9
2020s 931 931 931 1

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 6 Ecuador 1,633 compare
  2. 7 Uruguay 1,632 compare
  3. 8 Mongolia 1,030 compare
  4. 10 Sri Lanka 895 compare
  5. 11 Ethiopia 746 compare
  6. 12 Zambia 738 compare

See the full ranking of 26 places →

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is number of public paid employees, by occupation: teachers in South Africa?
Number of public paid employees, by occupation: teachers in South Africa was 931 in 2020, according to the World Bank.
What is the highest number of public paid employees, by occupation: teachers recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 1,284 in 2016.
What is the lowest number of public paid employees, by occupation: teachers recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 312 in 2017.
How does South Africa rank for number of public paid employees, by occupation: teachers?
South Africa ranks 9th out of 26 countries with data for 2020.
Is number of public paid employees, by occupation: teachers rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 145.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from the World Bank, published as part of Number of public paid employees, by occupation: Teachers. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Number of public paid employees, by occupation: Teachers in South Africa. Statizoid. Retrieved 02 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/number-of-public-paid-employees-by-occupation-teachers/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Number of public paid employees, by occupation: Teachers
Source
World Bank
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
26 places, 290 data points, 2000–2020
Last refreshed