Public sector employment, as a share of formal employment, by in South Africa

South Africa: Public sector employment, as a share of formal employment, by was 0.0274 in 2020. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2020)
0.0274
Change on year
up 2.7%
World rank
24th
of 24 countries
All-time high
0.6567
in 2014
All-time low
0.0041
in 2009
Years of data
10
2008–2020

Public sector employment, as a share of formal employment, by in South Africa, 2008–2020

00.20.40.62008201420202008: 0.0062009: 0.0042012: 0.0052014: 0.6572015: 0.0172016: 0.0342017: 0.6012018: 0.0082019: 0.0272020: 0.027

Source: World Bank.

Analysis

The most recent figure for public sector employment, as a share of formal employment, by in South Africa is 0.0274, measured in 2020.

The figure is up 2.7% on the previous year and up 559.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, public sector employment, as a share of formal employment, by in South Africa peaked at 0.6567 in 2014 and was at its lowest, 0.0041, in 2009.

South Africa ranks 24th of 24 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

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

Public sector employment, as a share of formal employment, by in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Public sector employment, as a share of formal employment, by industry: Education in South Africa, 2008 to 2020.
Year Value Change
2008 0.0055
2009 0.0041 -24.8%
2012 0.0051 +22.3%
2014 0.6567 +12844.6%
2015 0.0173 -97.4%
2016 0.0345 +99.1%
2017 0.6013 +1645.0%
2018 0.008 -98.7%
2019 0.0266 +235.1%
2020 0.0274 +2.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 0.0048 0.0041 0.0055 2
2010s 0.1928 0.0051 0.6567 7
2020s 0.0274 0.0274 0.0274 1

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 21 El Salvador 0.6478 compare
  2. 22 Colombia 0.5097 compare
  3. 23 Chile 0.4545 compare

See the full ranking of 24 places →

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is public sector employment, as a share of formal employment, by in South Africa?
Public sector employment, as a share of formal employment, by in South Africa was 0.0274 in 2020, according to the World Bank.
What is the highest public sector employment, as a share of formal employment, by recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 0.6567 in 2014.
What is the lowest public sector employment, as a share of formal employment, by recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 0.0041 in 2009.
How does South Africa rank for public sector employment, as a share of formal employment, by?
South Africa ranks 24th out of 24 countries with data for 2020.
Is public sector employment, as a share of formal employment, by rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 559.6%. 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 Public sector employment, as a share of formal employment, by industry: Education. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Public sector employment, as a share of formal employment, by in South Africa. Statizoid. Retrieved 05 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/public-sector-employment-as-a-share-of-formal-employment-by-industry-education/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Public sector employment, as a share of formal employment, by industry: Education
Source
World Bank
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
24 places, 249 data points, 2000–2021
Last refreshed