South Africa vs Sub-Saharan Africa: Share of youth not in education, employment or training, total (% of)
Share of youth not in education, employment or training, total (% of) over time
- South Africa
- Sub-Saharan Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 34.7% against 21.4% in Sub-Saharan Africa, a difference of 13.3%.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.6 times Sub-Saharan Africa's.
Across all 21 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.
South Africa ranks 18th and Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 20th of 187 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Sub-Saharan Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 33.2% | 20.1% | 13.0% | South Africa |
| 2010s | 31.8% | 21.0% | 10.8% | South Africa |
| 2020s | 34.0% | 22.1% | 11.8% | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of youth not in education, employment or training, total (% of), South Africa or Sub-Saharan Africa?
- South Africa, at 34.7% against 21.4% in Sub-Saharan Africa as of 2025.
- What is the difference in share of youth not in education, employment or training, total (% of) between South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa?
- 13.3%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa?
- 21 years are reported by both, from 2005 to 2025.
- How do South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa rank globally for share of youth not in education, employment or training, total (% of)?
- South Africa ranks 18th and Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 20th of 187 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as Share of youth not in education, employment or training, total (% of youth population) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
The share of youth not in education, employment or training (also known as “the NEET rate”) conveys the number of young persons not in education, employment or training as a percentage of the total youth population. Youth not in education are those who were neither enrolled in school nor in a formal training program (e.g. vocational training). For the purposes of this indicator, youth is defined as all persons between the ages of 15 and 24 (inclusive).