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

South Africa: Public sector employment, as a share of paid employment was 0.2337 in 2020. ▬ Flat

Latest (2020)
0.2337
Change on year
up 5.7%
World rank
49th
of 75 countries
All-time high
0.2438
in 2000
All-time low
0.183
in 2008
Years of data
19
2000–2020

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

00.050.10.150.20.252000201020202000: 0.2442001: 0.2412003: 0.2252004: 0.2072005: 0.2122006: 0.1962007: 0.2082008: 0.1832009: 0.1922010: 0.1972012: 0.2162013: 0.2172014: 0.1952015: 0.2192016: 0.2172017: 0.1872018: 0.2222019: 0.2212020: 0.234

Source: World Bank.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 0.2337 for public sector employment, as a share of paid employment in 2020.

That represents a change of up 5.7% on the previous year and up 18.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, public sector employment, as a share of paid employment in South Africa peaked at 0.2438 in 2000 and was at its lowest, 0.183, in 2008.

That places South Africa 49th out of 75 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.

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

Annual values for Public sector employment, as a share of paid employment in South Africa, 2000 to 2020.
Year Value Change
2000 0.2438
2001 0.2414 -1.0%
2003 0.2253 -6.7%
2004 0.2066 -8.3%
2005 0.2124 +2.8%
2006 0.1962 -7.6%
2007 0.2077 +5.8%
2008 0.183 -11.9%
2009 0.1924 +5.1%
2010 0.1971 +2.4%
2012 0.2158 +9.5%
2013 0.217 +0.5%
2014 0.1946 -10.3%
2015 0.2193 +12.7%
2016 0.2174 -0.9%
2017 0.1873 -13.8%
2018 0.2218 +18.4%
2019 0.2212 -0.3%
2020 0.2337 +5.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 0.2121 0.183 0.2438 9
2010s 0.2102 0.1873 0.2218 9
2020s 0.2337 0.2337 0.2337 1

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 46 Uruguay 0.237 compare
  2. 47 Turkey 0.2362 compare
  3. 48 Namibia 0.2359 compare
  4. 50 Australia 0.2334 compare
  5. 51 Croatia 0.2325 compare
  6. 52 Mauritius 0.2274 compare

See the full ranking of 75 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 in South Africa?
Public sector employment, as a share of paid employment in South Africa was 0.2337 in 2020, according to the World Bank.
What is the highest public sector employment, as a share of paid employment recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 0.2438 in 2000.
What is the lowest public sector employment, as a share of paid employment recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 0.183 in 2008.
How does South Africa rank for public sector employment, as a share of paid employment?
South Africa ranks 49th out of 75 countries with data for 2020.
Is public sector employment, as a share of paid employment rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 18.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
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. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Public sector employment, as a share of paid employment in South Africa. Statizoid. Retrieved 02 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/public-sector-employment-as-a-share-of-paid-employment/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Public sector employment, as a share of paid employment
Source
World Bank
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
75 places, 979 data points, 2000–2022
Last refreshed