Argentina vs South Africa: Public sector employment as a share of total employment
Argentina
18.9%
in 2021
South Africa
19.5%
in 2020
Argentina rank
41st
South Africa rank
40th
Public sector employment as a share of total employment over time
- Argentina
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 19.5% against 18.9% in Argentina, a difference of 0.6%.
The two have swapped places 7 times across 19 shared years of data; in 2000 it was South Africa ahead.
Argentina ranks 41st and South Africa ranks 40th of 79 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, Argentina averaged higher in 2 and South Africa in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Argentina | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 17.5% | 16.6% | 0.9% | Argentina |
| 2010s | 17.8% | 17.8% | 0.0% | South Africa |
| 2020s | 20.1% | 19.5% | 0.7% | Argentina |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher public sector employment as a share of total employment, Argentina or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 19.5% against 18.9% in Argentina as of 2020.
- What is the difference in public sector employment as a share of total employment between Argentina and South Africa?
- 0.6%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Argentina and South Africa?
- 19 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2020.
- How do Argentina and South Africa rank globally for public sector employment as a share of total employment?
- Argentina ranks 41st and South Africa ranks 40th of 79 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Bank (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Public sector employment as a share of total employment. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Share of all employed people who are paid employees of the public sector, including government, the armed forces, public services, and state-owned enterprises.