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

South Africa: Youth not in employment or education, aged 15-24, total was 0.2% in 2020. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2020)
0.2%
Change on year
up 10.4%
World rank
28th
of 111 countries
All-time high
0.7%
in 2011
All-time low
0.1%
in 2002
Years of data
21
1995–2020

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

00.20.40.60.81995200720201995: 0.085 % of total youth population2000: 0.193 % of total youth population2001: 0.204 % of total youth population2002: 0.054 % of total youth population2003: 0.229 % of total youth population2004: 0.235 % of total youth population2006: 0.104 % of total youth population2007: 0.11 % of total youth population2008: 0.693 % of total youth population2009: 0.719 % of total youth population2010: 0.739 % of total youth population2011: 0.745 % of total youth population2012: 0.466 % of total youth population2013: 0.193 % of total youth population2014: 0.189 % of total youth population2015: 0.178 % of total youth population2016: 0.177 % of total youth population2017: 0.174 % of total youth population2018: 0.186 % of total youth population2019: 0.185 % of total youth population2020: 0.204 % of total youth population

Source: World Bank. Measured in % of total youth population.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 0.2% for youth not in employment or education, aged 15-24, total in 2020.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 10.4% on the previous year and down 72.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, youth not in employment or education, aged 15-24, total in South Africa peaked at 0.7% in 2011 and was at its lowest, 0.1%, in 2002.

That places South Africa 28th out of 111 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top quarter.

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, total in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Youth not in employment or education, aged 15-24, total (% of total youth population) in South Africa, 1995 to 2020.
Year % of total youth population Change
1995 0.1%
2000 0.2% +126.2%
2001 0.2% +5.5%
2002 0.1% -73.4%
2003 0.2% +323.8%
2004 0.2% +2.6%
2006 0.1% -55.8%
2007 0.1% +5.9%
2008 0.7% +528.8%
2009 0.7% +3.8%
2010 0.7% +2.7%
2011 0.7% +0.9%
2012 0.5% -37.4%
2013 0.2% -58.7%
2014 0.2% -2.0%
2015 0.2% -5.7%
2016 0.2% -0.6%
2017 0.2% -1.7%
2018 0.2% +6.8%
2019 0.2% -0.3%
2020 0.2% +10.4%

South Africa compared with similar countries

  • South Africa's 0.2% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.2%, 1.4× the median. (35 countries reporting)
  • South Africa's 0.2% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.1%, 1.4× the median. (20 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Youth not in employment or education, aged 15-24, total 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
2008 +528.8% 0.1% 0.7%
2003 +323.8% 0.1% 0.2%
2000 +126.2% 0.1% 0.2%
2002 -73.4% 0.2% 0.1%
2013 -58.7% 0.5% 0.2%
2006 -55.8% 0.2% 0.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 1
2000s 0.3% 0.1% 0.7% 9
2010s 0.3% 0.2% 0.7% 10
2020s 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 1

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 25 Namibia 0.2% compare
  2. 26 Belize 0.2% compare
  3. 27 Palestine, State of 0.2% compare
  4. 29 Italy 0.2% compare
  5. 30 Tanzania, United Republic of 0.2% compare
  6. 31 Morocco 0.2% compare

See the full ranking of 111 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, total in South Africa?
Youth not in employment or education, aged 15-24, total in South Africa was 0.2% in 2020, according to the World Bank.
What is the highest youth not in employment or education, aged 15-24, total recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 0.7% in 2011.
What is the lowest youth not in employment or education, aged 15-24, total recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 0.1% in 2002.
How does South Africa rank for youth not in employment or education, aged 15-24, total?
South Africa ranks 28th out of 111 countries with data for 2020.
Is youth not in employment or education, aged 15-24, total rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 72.3%. 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, total (% of total youth population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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

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About this data

Indicator
Youth not in employment or education, aged 15-24, total (% of total youth population)
Unit
% of total youth population
Source
World Bank
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
111 places, 1,633 data points, 1970–2021
Last refreshed