Care employment outside the formal sector in South Africa

South Africa: Care employment outside the formal sector was 1,231 in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
1,231
Change on year
up 5.1%
World rank
6th
of 43 countries
All-time high
1,323
in 2018
All-time low
115.48
in 2002
Years of data
25
2000–2024

Care employment outside the formal sector in South Africa, 2000–2024

02505007501.0k1.2k2000201220242000: 505.62001: 176.52002: 115.52003: 140.62004: 126.72005: 141.22006: 1282007: 146.12008: 1.2k2009: 1.2k2010: 1.1k2011: 1.1k2012: 1.1k2013: 1.2k2014: 1.2k2015: 1.3k2016: 1.3k2017: 1.3k2018: 1.3k2019: 1.3k2020: 1.1k2021: 1.1k2022: 1.1k2023: 1.2k2024: 1.2k

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

The most recent figure for care employment outside the formal sector in South Africa is 1,231, measured in 2024.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 5.1% on the previous year and up 4.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, care employment outside the formal sector in South Africa peaked at 1,323 in 2018 and was at its lowest, 115.48, in 2002.

That places South Africa 6th out of 43 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Care employment outside the formal sector in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Care employment outside the formal sector (previous ILO definition - ICLS13) in South Africa, 2000 to 2024.
Year Value Change
2000 505.62
2001 176.55 -65.1%
2002 115.48 -34.6%
2003 140.57 +21.7%
2004 126.65 -9.9%
2005 141.22 +11.5%
2006 127.99 -9.4%
2007 146.06 +14.1%
2008 1,156 +691.2%
2009 1,156 +0.1%
2010 1,125 -2.7%
2011 1,079 -4.1%
2012 1,106 +2.5%
2013 1,157 +4.6%
2014 1,182 +2.1%
2015 1,251 +5.9%
2016 1,275 +1.9%
2017 1,280 +0.4%
2018 1,323 +3.4%
2019 1,299 -1.8%
2020 1,083 -16.7%
2021 1,099 +1.5%
2022 1,128 +2.6%
2023 1,171 +3.8%
2024 1,231 +5.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 379.2 115.48 1,156 10
2010s 1,208 1,079 1,323 10
2020s 1,142 1,083 1,231 5

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 3 Mexico 2,858 compare
  2. 4 Pakistan 2,512 compare
  3. 5 Bangladesh 1,432 compare
  4. 7 Argentina 1,116 compare
  5. 8 Egypt 872.07 compare
  6. 9 Colombia 840.02 compare

See the full ranking of 43 places →

More work & labour data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is care employment outside the formal sector in South Africa?
Care employment outside the formal sector in South Africa was 1,231 in 2024, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest care employment outside the formal sector recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 1,323 in 2018.
What is the lowest care employment outside the formal sector recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 115.48 in 2002.
How does South Africa rank for care employment outside the formal sector?
South Africa ranks 6th out of 43 countries with data for 2024.
Is care employment outside the formal sector rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 4.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Care employment outside the formal sector (previous ILO definition - ICLS13). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Care employment outside the formal sector in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 08 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/care-employment-outside-the-formal-sector-previous-ilo-definition-icls13/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Care employment outside the formal sector (previous ILO definition - ICLS13)
Source
International Labour Organization
Licence
ILO Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
43 places, 492 data points, 1999–2026
Last refreshed

With the aim of promoting international comparability, statistics presented on ILOSTAT are based on standard international definitions wherever feasible and may differ from official national figures. This series is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. For time series comparability, it includes countries that have implemented the 19th ICLS standards, for which data are also available in the Work Statistics -- 19th ICLS (WORK) database. This harmonized series for employment outside the formal sector is derived using the same set of criteria across countries to improve comparability. The criteria used are based on employment status, institutional sector, destination of production, bookkeeping, registration, social security contribution, places of work and size. For more information, refer to the Worker and Sector Profiles (PROF) database description.