Youth not in employment or education, aged 15-24, above primary in South Africa

South Africa: Youth not in employment or education, aged 15-24, above primary was 0.3% in 2020. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2020)
0.3%
Change on year
up 34.3%
World rank
8th
of 107 countries
All-time high
0.5%
in 2011
All-time low
0.0%
in 2002
Years of data
20
1995–2020

Youth not in employment or education, aged 15-24, above primary in South Africa, 1995–2020

00.10.20.30.40.51995200720201995: 0.065 % of youth population with high education2000: 0.185 % of youth population with high education2001: 0.196 % of youth population with high education2002: 0.044 % of youth population with high education2003: 0.217 % of youth population with high education2004: 0.221 % of youth population with high education2006: 0.099 % of youth population with high education2007: 0.104 % of youth population with high education2008: 0.429 % of youth population with high education2009: 0.479 % of youth population with high education2010: 0.515 % of youth population with high education2011: 0.535 % of youth population with high education2013: 0.211 % of youth population with high education2014: 0.214 % of youth population with high education2015: 0.206 % of youth population with high education2016: 0.209 % of youth population with high education2017: 0.218 % of youth population with high education2018: 0.234 % of youth population with high education2019: 0.23 % of youth population with high education2020: 0.309 % of youth population with high education

Source: World Bank. Measured in % of youth population with high education.

Analysis

The most recent figure for youth not in employment or education, aged 15-24, above primary in South Africa is 0.3%, measured in 2020.

The figure is up 34.3% on the previous year and down 39.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, youth not in employment or education, aged 15-24, above primary in South Africa peaked at 0.5% in 2011 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 2002.

South Africa ranks 8th of 107 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Youth not in employment or education, aged 15-24, above primary in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Youth not in employment or education, aged 15-24, above primary education (% of youth population with high education) in South Africa, 1995 to 2020.
Year % of youth population with high education Change
1995 0.1%
2000 0.2% +183.2%
2001 0.2% +5.6%
2002 0.0% -77.6%
2003 0.2% +397.0%
2004 0.2% +1.7%
2006 0.1% -55.3%
2007 0.1% +5.3%
2008 0.4% +311.5%
2009 0.5% +11.7%
2010 0.5% +7.4%
2011 0.5% +4.0%
2013 0.2% -60.5%
2014 0.2% +1.2%
2015 0.2% -3.5%
2016 0.2% +1.0%
2017 0.2% +4.4%
2018 0.2% +7.3%
2019 0.2% -1.5%
2020 0.3% +34.3%

South Africa compared with similar countries

  • South Africa's 0.3% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.1%, 2.4× the median. (34 countries reporting)
  • South Africa's 0.3% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.1%, 2.1× the median. (18 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Youth not in employment or education, aged 15-24, above primary 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
2003 +397.0% 0.0% 0.2%
2008 +311.5% 0.1% 0.4%
2000 +183.2% 0.1% 0.2%
2002 -77.6% 0.2% 0.0%
2013 -60.5% 0.5% 0.2%
2006 -55.3% 0.2% 0.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 1
2000s 0.2% 0.0% 0.5% 9
2010s 0.3% 0.2% 0.5% 9
2020s 0.3% 0.3% 0.3% 1

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 5 United States of America 0.4% compare
  2. 6 Russian Federation 0.4% compare
  3. 7 Belarus 0.4% compare
  4. 9 Tajikistan 0.3% compare
  5. 10 Egypt 0.3% compare
  6. 11 Gambia 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 youth not in employment or education, aged 15-24, above primary in South Africa?
Youth not in employment or education, aged 15-24, above primary in South Africa was 0.3% in 2020, according to the World Bank.
What is the highest youth not in employment or education, aged 15-24, above primary recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 0.5% in 2011.
What is the lowest youth not in employment or education, aged 15-24, above primary recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 2002.
How does South Africa rank for youth not in employment or education, aged 15-24, above primary?
South Africa ranks 8th out of 107 countries with data for 2020.
Is youth not in employment or education, aged 15-24, above primary rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 39.9%. 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 Youth not in employment or education, aged 15-24, above primary education (% of youth population with high education). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Youth not in employment or education, aged 15-24, above primary in South Africa. Statizoid. Retrieved 16 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/youth-not-in-employment-or-education-aged-15-24-above-primary-education-percent-of-youth/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Youth not in employment or education, aged 15-24, above primary education (% of youth population with high education)
Unit
% of youth population with high education
Source
World Bank
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
107 places, 1,429 data points, 1970–2021
Last refreshed