Unemployment rate, aged 25-64 in South Africa

South Africa: Unemployment rate, aged 25-64 was 0.3% in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
0.3%
Change on year
up 4.4%
World rank
4th
of 108 countries
All-time high
0.4%
in 2002
All-time low
0.2%
in 2008
Years of data
21
1995–2020

Unemployment rate, aged 25-64 in South Africa, 1995–2020

00.10.20.30.41995200720201995: 0.231 % of labor force aged 25-642000: 0.217 % of labor force aged 25-642001: 0.219 % of labor force aged 25-642002: 0.355 % of labor force aged 25-642003: 0.226 % of labor force aged 25-642004: 0.222 % of labor force aged 25-642006: 0.309 % of labor force aged 25-642007: 0.29 % of labor force aged 25-642008: 0.182 % of labor force aged 25-642009: 0.194 % of labor force aged 25-642010: 0.205 % of labor force aged 25-642011: 0.207 % of labor force aged 25-642012: 0.207 % of labor force aged 25-642013: 0.206 % of labor force aged 25-642014: 0.212 % of labor force aged 25-642015: 0.216 % of labor force aged 25-642016: 0.229 % of labor force aged 25-642017: 0.238 % of labor force aged 25-642018: 0.237 % of labor force aged 25-642019: 0.25 % of labor force aged 25-642020: 0.261 % of labor force aged 25-64

Source: World Bank. Measured in % of labor force aged 25-64.

Analysis

In 2020, unemployment rate, aged 25-64 in South Africa stood at 0.3%.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.4% on the previous year and up 27.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, unemployment rate, aged 25-64 in South Africa peaked at 0.4% in 2002 and was at its lowest, 0.2%, in 2008.

South Africa ranks 4th of 108 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 21 years of available data.

Unemployment rate, aged 25-64 in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Unemployment rate, aged 25-64 (% of labor force aged 25-64) in South Africa, 1995 to 2020.
Year % of labor force aged 25-64 Change
1995 0.2%
2000 0.2% -6.2%
2001 0.2% +0.9%
2002 0.4% +61.8%
2003 0.2% -36.4%
2004 0.2% -1.4%
2006 0.3% +38.8%
2007 0.3% -6.0%
2008 0.2% -37.3%
2009 0.2% +6.5%
2010 0.2% +5.9%
2011 0.2% +1.1%
2012 0.2% -0.1%
2013 0.2% -0.4%
2014 0.2% +2.8%
2015 0.2% +2.0%
2016 0.2% +5.6%
2017 0.2% +4.0%
2018 0.2% -0.4%
2019 0.3% +5.7%
2020 0.3% +4.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 1
2000s 0.2% 0.2% 0.4% 9
2010s 0.2% 0.2% 0.3% 10
2020s 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 1

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 1 Kosovo 0.4% compare
  2. 1 Kosovo (UNSCR 1244) 0.4% compare
  3. 3 Georgia 0.3% compare
  4. 5 Albania 0.3% compare
  5. 6 Greece 0.2% compare
  6. 7 Croatia 0.2% compare

See the full ranking of 108 places →

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is unemployment rate, aged 25-64 in South Africa?
Unemployment rate, aged 25-64 in South Africa was 0.3% in 2020, according to the World Bank.
What is the highest unemployment rate, aged 25-64 recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 0.4% in 2002.
What is the lowest unemployment rate, aged 25-64 recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 0.2% in 2008.
How does South Africa rank for unemployment rate, aged 25-64?
South Africa ranks 4th out of 108 countries with data for 2020.
Is unemployment rate, aged 25-64 rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 27.1%. 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 Unemployment rate, aged 25-64 (% of labor force aged 25-64). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Unemployment rate, aged 25-64 in South Africa. Statizoid. Retrieved 07 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/unemployment-rate-aged-25-64-percent-of-labor-force-aged-25-64/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Unemployment rate, aged 25-64 (% of labor force aged 25-64)
Unit
% of labor force aged 25-64
Source
World Bank
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
108 places, 1,528 data points, 1970–2021
Last refreshed