Public sector wage premium in South Africa

South Africa: Public sector wage premium was -0.1974 compared to formal wage employees in 2019. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2019)
-0.1974 compared to formal wage employees
Change on year
down 49.9%
World rank
53rd
of 54 countries
All-time high
0.4817 compared to formal wage employees
in 2003
All-time low
-0.1974 compared to formal wage employees
in 2019
Years of data
10
2000–2019

Public sector wage premium in South Africa, 2000–2019

-0.200.20.42000200920192000: 0.264 compared to formal wage employees2001: 0.265 compared to formal wage employees2003: 0.482 compared to formal wage employees2010: 0.148 compared to formal wage employees2012: 0.118 compared to formal wage employees2013: 0.03 compared to formal wage employees2015: -0.105 compared to formal wage employees2016: -0.098 compared to formal wage employees2018: -0.132 compared to formal wage employees2019: -0.197 compared to formal wage employees

Source: World Bank. Measured in compared to formal wage employees.

Analysis

In 2019, public sector wage premium in South Africa stood at -0.1974 compared to formal wage employees. That is the lowest value across all 10 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 49.9% on the previous year and down 233.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, public sector wage premium in South Africa peaked at 0.4817 compared to formal wage employees in 2003 and was at its lowest, -0.1974 compared to formal wage employees, in 2019.

South Africa ranks 53rd of 54 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 wage premium in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Public sector wage premium (compared to formal wage employees) in South Africa, 2000 to 2019.
Year compared to formal wage employees Change
2000 0.2644 compared to formal wage employees
2001 0.2653 compared to formal wage employees +0.4%
2003 0.4817 compared to formal wage employees +81.5%
2010 0.1477 compared to formal wage employees -69.3%
2012 0.1179 compared to formal wage employees -20.2%
2013 0.0296 compared to formal wage employees -74.9%
2015 -0.1054 compared to formal wage employees -455.8%
2016 -0.098 compared to formal wage employees -7.1%
2018 -0.1317 compared to formal wage employees +34.4%
2019 -0.1974 compared to formal wage employees +49.9%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 0.3371 compared to formal wage employees 0.2644 compared to formal wage employees 0.4817 compared to formal wage employees 3
2010s -0.0339 compared to formal wage employees -0.1974 compared to formal wage employees 0.1477 compared to formal wage employees 7

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 50 Iceland -0.121 compared to formal wage employees compare
  2. 51 France -0.1502 compared to formal wage employees compare
  3. 52 Armenia -0.1755 compared to formal wage employees compare
  4. 54 Republic of Moldova -0.3519 compared to formal wage employees compare

See the full ranking of 54 places →

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is public sector wage premium in South Africa?
Public sector wage premium in South Africa was -0.1974 compared to formal wage employees in 2019, according to the World Bank.
What is the highest public sector wage premium recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 0.4817 compared to formal wage employees in 2003.
What is the lowest public sector wage premium recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was -0.1974 compared to formal wage employees in 2019.
How does South Africa rank for public sector wage premium?
South Africa ranks 53rd out of 54 countries with data for 2019.
Is public sector wage premium rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 233.7%. 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 wage premium (compared to formal wage employees). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Public sector wage premium in South Africa. Statizoid. Retrieved 23 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/public-sector-wage-premium-compared-to-formal-wage-employees/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Public sector wage premium (compared to formal wage employees)
Unit
compared to formal wage employees
Source
World Bank
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
54 places, 658 data points, 2000–2021
Last refreshed