Total labor force in the sample, aged 15-24 in South Africa

South Africa: Total labor force in the sample, aged 15-24 was 2.14 million in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
2.14 million
Change on year
down 18.8%
World rank
31st
of 109 countries
All-time high
4.17 million
in 2002
All-time low
0
in 2005
Years of data
22
1995–2020

Total labor force in the sample, aged 15-24 in South Africa, 1995–2020

01.0M2.0M3.0M4.0M1995200720201995: 2.2M2000: 2.6M2001: 2.7M2002: 4.2M2003: 2.7M2004: 2.7M2005: 02006: 4.0M2007: 4.1M2008: 3.0M2009: 2.8M2010: 2.6M2011: 2.6M2012: 2.6M2013: 2.6M2014: 2.6M2015: 2.7M2016: 2.7M2017: 2.8M2018: 2.6M2019: 2.6M2020: 2.1M

Source: World Bank.

Analysis

In 2020, total labor force in the sample, aged 15-24 in South Africa stood at 2.14 million.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 18.8% on the previous year and down 17.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, total labor force in the sample, aged 15-24 in South Africa peaked at 4.17 million in 2002 and was at its lowest, 0, in 2005.

South Africa ranks 31st of 109 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 22 years of available data.

Total labor force in the sample, aged 15-24 in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Total labor force in the sample, aged 15-24 in South Africa, 1995 to 2020.
Year Value Change
1995 2.21 million —
2000 2.62 million +18.9%
2001 2.68 million +2.1%
2002 4.17 million +55.5%
2003 2.69 million -35.3%
2004 2.69 million -0.2%
2005 0 -100.0%
2006 4.02 million —
2007 4.06 million +1.1%
2008 2.98 million -26.7%
2009 2.75 million -7.6%
2010 2.60 million -5.6%
2011 2.56 million -1.6%
2012 2.57 million +0.5%
2013 2.63 million +2.1%
2014 2.59 million -1.2%
2015 2.74 million +5.7%
2016 2.72 million -0.6%
2017 2.77 million +1.7%
2018 2.62 million -5.6%
2019 2.64 million +0.9%
2020 2.14 million -18.8%

South Africa compared with similar countries

  • South Africa's 2.14 million is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 772,294, 2.8× the median. (34 countries reporting)
  • South Africa's 2.14 million is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.93 million, 1.1× the median. (20 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Total labor force in the sample, aged 15-24 in South Africa changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
2005 -100.0% 2.69 million 0
2002 +55.5% 2.68 million 4.17 million
2003 -35.3% 4.17 million 2.69 million

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 2.21 million 2.21 million 2.21 million 1
2000s 2.87 million 0 4.17 million 10
2010s 2.64 million 2.56 million 2.77 million 10
2020s 2.14 million 2.14 million 2.14 million 1

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 28 Morocco 2.40 million compare
  2. 29 Malawi 2.38 million compare
  3. 30 France 2.25 million compare
  4. 32 Cambodia 2.09 million compare
  5. 33 Guatemala 1.99 million compare
  6. 34 South Korea 1.83 million compare

See the full ranking of 109 places →

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is total labor force in the sample, aged 15-24 in South Africa?
Total labor force in the sample, aged 15-24 in South Africa was 2.14 million in 2020, according to the World Bank.
What is the highest total labor force in the sample, aged 15-24 recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 4.17 million in 2002.
What is the lowest total labor force in the sample, aged 15-24 recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 0 in 2005.
How does South Africa rank for total labor force in the sample, aged 15-24?
South Africa ranks 31st out of 109 countries with data for 2020.
Is total labor force in the sample, aged 15-24 rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 17.5%. 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 Total labor force in the sample, aged 15-24. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Total labor force in the sample, aged 15-24 in South Africa. Statizoid. Retrieved 30 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/total-labor-force-in-the-sample-aged-15-24/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Total labor force in the sample, aged 15-24
Source
World Bank
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
109 places, 1,558 data points, 1970–2021
Last refreshed