European Union vs South Africa: Unemployment with advanced education

European Union
4.4%
in 2024
South Africa
12.8%
in 2024
European Union rank
15th
South Africa rank
12th

Unemployment with advanced education over time

  • European Union
  • South Africa
2.557.51012.515199520092024

How they compare

South Africa currently reports 12.8% against 4.4% in European Union, a difference of 8.4%.

That makes South Africa's figure about 2.9 times European Union's.

The two have swapped places 4 times across 24 shared years of data; in 2000 it was South Africa ahead.

European Union ranks 15th and South Africa ranks 12th of 19 groups.

Across the 3 decades both report, European Union averaged higher in 1 and South Africa in 2.

Head to head by decade

Decade European Union South Africa Difference Ahead
2000s 5.4% 5.1% 0.3% European Union
2010s 7.3% 8.7% 1.4% South Africa
2020s 5.0% 13.3% 8.4% South Africa

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher unemployment with advanced education, European Union or South Africa?
South Africa, at 12.8% against 4.4% in European Union as of 2024.
What is the difference in unemployment with advanced education between European Union and South Africa?
8.4%, with South Africa ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for European Union and South Africa?
24 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2024.
How do European Union and South Africa rank globally for unemployment with advanced education?
European Union ranks 15th and South Africa ranks 12th of 19 groups.
Where does this data come from?
Education and Mismatch Indicators database (EMI), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as Unemployment with advanced education (% of total labor force with advanced education). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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European Union vs South Africa: Unemployment with advanced education. Statizoid, drawing on Education and Mismatch Indicators database (EMI), International Labour Organization (ILO). Retrieved 15 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/compare/unemployment-with-advanced-education-percent-of-total-labor-force-with-advanced-education/european-union/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Unemployment with advanced education (% of total labor force with advanced education)
Unit
% of total labor force with advanced education
Source
Education and Mismatch Indicators database (EMI), International Labour Organization (ILO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
149 places, 2,654 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

The percentage of the labor force with an advanced level of education who are unemployed. Advanced education comprises short-cycle tertiary education, a bachelor’s degree or equivalent education level, a master’s degree or equivalent education level, or doctoral degree or equivalent education level according to the International Standard Classification of Education 2011 (ISCED 2011).