South Africa vs Western Asia: Unemployment rate, by sex and age - 13th ICLS
South Africa
32.3%
in 2024
Western Asia
8.8%
in 2025
South Africa rank
1st
Western Asia rank
4th
Unemployment rate, by sex and age - 13th ICLS over time
- South Africa
- Western Asia
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 32.3% against 8.8% in Western Asia, a difference of 23.5%.
That makes South Africa's figure about 3.7 times Western Asia's.
Across all 25 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.
South Africa ranks 1st and Western Asia ranks 4th of 189 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Western Asia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 28.6% | 9.2% | 19.4% | South Africa |
| 2010s | 25.8% | 9.3% | 16.4% | South Africa |
| 2020s | 32.2% | 10.0% | 22.2% | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher unemployment rate, by sex and age - 13th icls, South Africa or Western Asia?
- South Africa, at 32.3% against 8.8% in Western Asia as of 2024.
- What is the difference in unemployment rate, by sex and age - 13th icls between South Africa and Western Asia?
- 23.5%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Western Asia?
- 25 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2024.
- How do South Africa and Western Asia rank globally for unemployment rate, by sex and age - 13th icls?
- South Africa ranks 1st and Western Asia ranks 4th of 189 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as Unemployment rate, by sex and age - 13th ICLS (%). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.