Public to private wage gap, aged 15-64, above primary education in South Africa

South Africa: Public to private wage gap, aged 15-64, above primary education was 2.7 in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
2.7
Change on year
up 44.0%
World rank
4th
of 28 countries
All-time high
3.07
in 2003
All-time low
1.81
in 2011
Years of data
16
2000–2020

Public to private wage gap, aged 15-64, above primary education in South Africa, 2000–2020

01232000201020202000: 2.22001: 2.32003: 3.12004: 3.12006: 2.52007: 2.52010: 1.92011: 1.82013: 2.12014: 2.32015: 2.12016: 2.42017: 22018: 2.22019: 1.92020: 2.7

Source: World Bank.

Analysis

The most recent figure for public to private wage gap, aged 15-64, above primary education in South Africa is 2.7, measured in 2020.

The figure is up 44.0% on the previous year and up 39.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, public to private wage gap, aged 15-64, above primary education in South Africa peaked at 3.07 in 2003 and was at its lowest, 1.81, in 2011.

That places South Africa 4th out of 28 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 16 years of available data.

Public to private wage gap, aged 15-64, above primary education in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Public to private wage gap, aged 15-64, above primary education in South Africa, 2000 to 2020.
Year Value Change
2000 2.23
2001 2.3 +3.1%
2003 3.07 +33.3%
2004 3.07 +0.0%
2006 2.5 -18.5%
2007 2.45 -1.8%
2010 1.94 -20.9%
2011 1.81 -6.8%
2013 2.13 +17.7%
2014 2.26 +6.3%
2015 2.11 -6.7%
2016 2.38 +12.6%
2017 2.04 -14.2%
2018 2.22 +8.9%
2019 1.88 -15.6%
2020 2.7 +44.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 2.6 2.23 3.07 6
2010s 2.09 1.81 2.38 9
2020s 2.7 2.7 2.7 1

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 1 Uganda 6.25 compare
  2. 2 Brazil 2.97 compare
  3. 3 Colombia 2.75 compare
  4. 5 Costa Rica 2.43 compare
  5. 6 Ghana 2.17 compare
  6. 7 Rwanda 2.08 compare

See the full ranking of 28 places →

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is public to private wage gap, aged 15-64, above primary education in South Africa?
Public to private wage gap, aged 15-64, above primary education in South Africa was 2.7 in 2020, according to the World Bank.
What is the highest public to private wage gap, aged 15-64, above primary education recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 3.07 in 2003.
What is the lowest public to private wage gap, aged 15-64, above primary education recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 1.81 in 2011.
How does South Africa rank for public to private wage gap, aged 15-64, above primary education?
South Africa ranks 4th out of 28 countries with data for 2020.
Is public to private wage gap, aged 15-64, above primary education rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 39.1%. 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 to private wage gap, aged 15-64, above primary education. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Public to private wage gap, aged 15-64, above primary education in South Africa. Statizoid. Retrieved 25 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/public-to-private-wage-gap-aged-15-64-above-primary-education/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Public to private wage gap, aged 15-64, above primary education
Source
World Bank
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
28 places, 378 data points, 1970–2021
Last refreshed