Panama vs South Africa: Public sector employment as a share of total employment
Panama
18.0%
in 2021
South Africa
19.5%
in 2020
Panama rank
43rd
South Africa rank
40th
Public sector employment as a share of total employment over time
- Panama
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 19.5% against 18.0% in Panama, a difference of 1.5%.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.1 times Panama's.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 16 shared years of data; in 2000 it was Panama ahead.
Panama ranks 43rd and South Africa ranks 40th of 79 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Panama | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 15.7% | 16.6% | 0.9% | South Africa |
| 2010s | 15.8% | 17.9% | 2.0% | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher public sector employment as a share of total employment, Panama or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 19.5% against 18.0% in Panama as of 2020.
- What is the difference in public sector employment as a share of total employment between Panama and South Africa?
- 1.5%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Panama and South Africa?
- 16 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2019.
- How do Panama and South Africa rank globally for public sector employment as a share of total employment?
- Panama ranks 43rd 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.