South Africa · Annual SERIES
Employment ratio in South Africa
Share of people aged 15 and older who are employed, from the ILO modeled estimates series.
37.58%% of population aged 15+ (modeled ILO estimate)
2025Observation year
-0.05 pp from 2024
% of population aged 15+ (modeled ILO estimate) · World Bank · Missing observations remain gaps.
Underlying data
Download CSV| Year | Value | Status & source note |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 37.58 | present |
| 2024 | 37.632 | present |
| 2023 | 37.359 | present |
| 2022 | 35.701 | present |
| 2021 | 34.332 | present |
| 2020 | 35.779 | present |
| 2019 | 39.534 | present |
| 2018 | 40.319 | present |
| 2017 | 40.393 | present |
| 2016 | 40.195 | present |
| 2015 | 40.862 | present |
| 2014 | 40.044 | present |
| 2013 | 40.041 | present |
| 2012 | 39.524 | present |
| 2011 | 39.317 | present |
| 2010 | 39.365 | present |
| 2009 | 41.264 | present |
| 2008 | 43.286 | present |
| 2007 | 43.439 | present |
| 2006 | 43.505 | present |
| 2005 | 43.516 | present |
| 2004 | 43.591 | present |
| 2003 | 43.689 | present |
| 2002 | 43.935 | present |
| 2001 | 44.094 | present |
| 2000 | 44.214 | present |
Definition & method
ILO calculates employed people as a percentage of the working-age population and combines reported observations with modeled estimates. Employment includes work for pay or profit.
Share of people aged 15 and older who are employed, from the ILO modeled estimates series.
What to keep in mind
- The denominator is population aged 15+, not the labor force. This is not one minus the unemployment rate.
- This modeled ILO series can differ from national survey releases.
- WDI does not identify every imputed observation in this response. Cross-country ranking and comparison are disabled because ILO warns against comparing imputed observations.
- A higher ratio does not by itself establish better jobs or working conditions.