Malaysia vs South Africa: Employment
Employment over time
- Malaysia
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 18,073 against 18,015 in Malaysia, a difference of 58.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 35 shared years of data; in 1991 it was South Africa ahead.
Malaysia ranks 37th and South Africa ranks 36th of 188 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Malaysia averaged higher in 1 and South Africa in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Malaysia | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 7,322 | 12,468 | 5,145 | South Africa |
| 2000s | 10,203 | 14,622 | 4,419 | South Africa |
| 2010s | 14,278 | 15,992 | 1,714 | South Africa |
| 2020s | 17,106 | 16,851 | 254.98 | Malaysia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher employment, Malaysia or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 18,073 against 18,015 in Malaysia as of 2025.
- What is the difference in employment between Malaysia and South Africa?
- 58, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Malaysia and South Africa?
- 35 years are reported by both, from 1991 to 2025.
- How do Malaysia and South Africa rank globally for employment?
- Malaysia ranks 37th and South Africa ranks 36th of 188 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- International Labour Organization, published as Employment (ILO modelled estimates). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Imputed observations are not based on national data, are subject to high uncertainty and should not be used for country comparisons or rankings. This series is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. The employed comprise all persons of working age who, during a specified brief period, were in one of the following categories: a) paid employment (whether at work or with a job but not at work); or b) self-employment (whether at work or with an enterprise but not at work). Data disaggregated by economic activity are provided according to the latest version of the International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities (ISIC) available for that year. Data may have been regrouped from national classifications, which may not be strictly compatible with ISIC. For more information, refer to the ILO Modelled Estimates (ILOEST) database description.