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

South Africa: Public sector employment, as a share of paid employment, by was 0.2347 in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
0.2347
Change on year
up 9.5%
World rank
44th
of 63 countries
All-time high
0.2545
in 2003
All-time low
0.148
in 2017
Years of data
15
2000–2020

Public sector employment, as a share of paid employment, by in South Africa, 2000–2020

00.10.20.32000201020202000: 0.2462001: 0.2522003: 0.2552008: 0.1862009: 0.2062010: 0.2082012: 0.2222013: 0.2142014: 0.1832015: 0.2062016: 0.1952017: 0.1482018: 0.2422019: 0.2142020: 0.235

Source: World Bank.

Analysis

The most recent figure for public sector employment, as a share of paid employment, by in South Africa is 0.2347, measured in 2020.

The figure is up 9.5% on the previous year and up 12.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, public sector employment, as a share of paid employment, by in South Africa peaked at 0.2545 in 2003 and was at its lowest, 0.148, in 2017.

That places South Africa 44th out of 63 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 15 years of available data.

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

Annual values for Public sector employment, as a share of paid employment, by occupational group: Manager in South Africa, 2000 to 2020.
Year Value Change
2000 0.2464
2001 0.2519 +2.3%
2003 0.2545 +1.0%
2008 0.1865 -26.7%
2009 0.2061 +10.5%
2010 0.2082 +1.0%
2012 0.2223 +6.8%
2013 0.2135 -4.0%
2014 0.183 -14.3%
2015 0.2061 +12.6%
2016 0.1949 -5.4%
2017 0.148 -24.0%
2018 0.2423 +63.7%
2019 0.2144 -11.5%
2020 0.2347 +9.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 0.2291 0.1865 0.2545 5
2010s 0.2036 0.148 0.2423 9
2020s 0.2347 0.2347 0.2347 1

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 41 Finland 0.251 compare
  2. 42 Honduras 0.2432 compare
  3. 43 Poland 0.2365 compare
  4. 45 Sri Lanka 0.2292 compare
  5. 46 Ireland 0.2218 compare
  6. 47 Czechia 0.2201 compare

See the full ranking of 63 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 paid employment, by in South Africa?
Public sector employment, as a share of paid employment, by in South Africa was 0.2347 in 2020, according to the World Bank.
What is the highest public sector employment, as a share of paid employment, by recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 0.2545 in 2003.
What is the lowest public sector employment, as a share of paid employment, by recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 0.148 in 2017.
How does South Africa rank for public sector employment, as a share of paid employment, by?
South Africa ranks 44th out of 63 countries with data for 2020.
Is public sector employment, as a share of paid employment, by rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 12.7%. 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 Public sector employment, as a share of paid employment, by occupational group: Manager. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Public sector employment, as a share of paid employment, by in South Africa. Statizoid. Retrieved 04 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/public-sector-employment-as-a-share-of-paid-employment-by-occupational-group-manager/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Public sector employment, as a share of paid employment, by occupational group: Manager
Source
World Bank
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
63 places, 739 data points, 2000–2022
Last refreshed