India vs South Africa: Female employment rate
India
32.5%
in 2025
South Africa
32.6%
in 2024
India rank
151st
South Africa rank
150th
Female employment rate over time
- India
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 32.6% against 32.5% in India, a difference of 0.1%.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 12 shared years of data; in 1994 it was India ahead.
India ranks 151st and South Africa ranks 150th of 172 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, India averaged higher in 2 and South Africa in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | India | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 30.3% | 29.7% | 0.6% | India |
| 2000s | 32.8% | 26.4% | 6.4% | India |
| 2010s | 23.9% | 33.4% | 9.5% | South Africa |
| 2020s | 28.7% | 30.9% | 2.2% | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher female employment rate, India or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 32.6% against 32.5% in India as of 2024.
- What is the difference in female employment rate between India and South Africa?
- 0.1%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for India and South Africa?
- 12 years are reported by both, from 1994 to 2024.
- How do India and South Africa rank globally for female employment rate?
- India ranks 151st and South Africa ranks 150th of 172 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Labour Force Statistics, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as Female employment rate. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Share of the female working-age population who are employed. Figures refer to national estimates and may not be fully comparable across countries.