Eswatini vs South Africa: Unemployment rate
Eswatini
34.2
in 2025
South Africa
32.39
in 2025
Eswatini rank
1st
South Africa rank
2nd
Unemployment rate over time
- Eswatini
- South Africa
How they compare
Eswatini currently reports 34.2 against 32.39 in South Africa, a difference of 1.81.
That makes Eswatini's figure about 1.1 times South Africa's.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 35 shared years of data; in 1991 it was South Africa ahead.
Eswatini ranks 1st and South Africa ranks 2nd of 186 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Eswatini averaged higher in 2 and South Africa in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Eswatini | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 22.03 | 22.93 | 0.905 | South Africa |
| 2000s | 26.71 | 22.62 | 4.08 | Eswatini |
| 2010s | 25.21 | 25.76 | 0.5535 | South Africa |
| 2020s | 34.51 | 32.21 | 2.3 | Eswatini |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher unemployment rate, Eswatini or South Africa?
- Eswatini, at 34.2 against 32.39 in South Africa as of 2025.
- What is the difference in unemployment rate between Eswatini and South Africa?
- 1.81, with Eswatini ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Eswatini and South Africa?
- 35 years are reported by both, from 1991 to 2025.
- How do Eswatini and South Africa rank globally for unemployment rate?
- Eswatini ranks 1st and South Africa ranks 2nd of 186 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Our World in Data, published as Unemployment rate. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.