Unemployment rate, aged 15-64, primary education and below in South Africa

South Africa: Unemployment rate, aged 15-64, primary education and below was 0.3% in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
0.3%
Change on year
up 2.4%
World rank
17th
of 107 countries
All-time high
0.5%
in 2002
All-time low
0.2%
in 2004
Years of data
20
1995–2020

Unemployment rate, aged 15-64, primary education and below in South Africa, 1995–2020

00.10.20.30.40.51995200720201995: 0.336 % of labor force with low education in working age2000: 0.224 % of labor force with low education in working age2001: 0.218 % of labor force with low education in working age2002: 0.463 % of labor force with low education in working age2003: 0.243 % of labor force with low education in working age2004: 0.21 % of labor force with low education in working age2006: 0.377 % of labor force with low education in working age2007: 0.373 % of labor force with low education in working age2008: 0.26 % of labor force with low education in working age2009: 0.273 % of labor force with low education in working age2010: 0.287 % of labor force with low education in working age2011: 0.288 % of labor force with low education in working age2013: 0.29 % of labor force with low education in working age2014: 0.297 % of labor force with low education in working age2015: 0.296 % of labor force with low education in working age2016: 0.31 % of labor force with low education in working age2017: 0.32 % of labor force with low education in working age2018: 0.313 % of labor force with low education in working age2019: 0.336 % of labor force with low education in working age2020: 0.344 % of labor force with low education in working age

Source: World Bank. Measured in % of labor force with low education in working age.

Analysis

In 2020, unemployment rate, aged 15-64, primary education and below in South Africa stood at 0.3%.

The figure is up 2.4% on the previous year and up 19.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, unemployment rate, aged 15-64, primary education and below in South Africa peaked at 0.5% in 2002 and was at its lowest, 0.2%, in 2004.

South Africa ranks 17th of 107 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 20 years of available data.

Unemployment rate, aged 15-64, primary education and below in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Unemployment rate, aged 15-64, primary education and below (% of labor force with low education in working age) in South Africa, 1995 to 2020.
Year % of labor force with low education in working age Change
1995 0.3%
2000 0.2% -33.2%
2001 0.2% -2.9%
2002 0.5% +112.4%
2003 0.2% -47.4%
2004 0.2% -13.9%
2006 0.4% +79.8%
2007 0.4% -1.1%
2008 0.3% -30.2%
2009 0.3% +5.1%
2010 0.3% +5.2%
2011 0.3% +0.3%
2013 0.3% +0.4%
2014 0.3% +2.5%
2015 0.3% -0.4%
2016 0.3% +5.0%
2017 0.3% +3.1%
2018 0.3% -2.1%
2019 0.3% +7.1%
2020 0.3% +2.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 1
2000s 0.3% 0.2% 0.5% 9
2010s 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 9
2020s 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 1

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 14 Gambia 0.4% compare
  2. 15 Estonia 0.4% compare
  3. 16 Hungary 0.4% compare
  4. 18 Italy 0.3% compare
  5. 19 Ireland 0.3% compare
  6. 20 Lithuania 0.3% compare

See the full ranking of 107 places →

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is unemployment rate, aged 15-64, primary education and below in South Africa?
Unemployment rate, aged 15-64, primary education and below in South Africa was 0.3% in 2020, according to the World Bank.
What is the highest unemployment rate, aged 15-64, primary education and below recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 0.5% in 2002.
What is the lowest unemployment rate, aged 15-64, primary education and below recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 0.2% in 2004.
How does South Africa rank for unemployment rate, aged 15-64, primary education and below?
South Africa ranks 17th out of 107 countries with data for 2020.
Is unemployment rate, aged 15-64, primary education and below rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 19.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from the World Bank, published as part of Unemployment rate, aged 15-64, primary education and below (% of labor force with low education in working age). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Unemployment rate, aged 15-64, primary education and below in South Africa. Statizoid. Retrieved 10 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/unemployment-rate-aged-15-64-primary-education-and-below-percent-of-labor-force-with-low/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Unemployment rate, aged 15-64, primary education and below (% of labor force with low education in working age)
Unit
% of labor force with low education in working age
Source
World Bank
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
107 places, 1,474 data points, 1970–2021
Last refreshed