BRICS vs South Africa: Unemployment rate: young vs. older adults
BRICS
15.0%
in 2024
South Africa
60.2%
in 2024
BRICS rank
3rd
South Africa rank
2nd
Unemployment rate: young vs. older adults over time
- BRICS
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 60.2% against 15.0% in BRICS, a difference of 45.2%.
That makes South Africa's figure about 4.0 times BRICS's.
Across all 34 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.
BRICS ranks 3rd and South Africa ranks 2nd of 7 groups.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | BRICS | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 12.0% | 43.2% | 31.1% | South Africa |
| 2000s | 15.6% | 44.1% | 28.6% | South Africa |
| 2010s | 17.0% | 52.2% | 35.2% | South Africa |
| 2020s | 16.5% | 61.4% | 45.0% | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher unemployment rate: young vs. older adults, BRICS or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 60.2% against 15.0% in BRICS as of 2024.
- What is the difference in unemployment rate: young vs. older adults between BRICS and South Africa?
- 45.2%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for BRICS and South Africa?
- 34 years are reported by both, from 1991 to 2024.
- How do BRICS and South Africa rank globally for unemployment rate: young vs. older adults?
- BRICS ranks 3rd and South Africa ranks 2nd of 7 groups.
- Where does this data come from?
- International Labour Organization (2026) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Unemployment rate: young vs. older adults. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Share of the labor force aged 15-24 without work, but actively looking for a job and available to start soon.