Contributing family workers, total (% of total employment) in South Africa

South Africa: Contributing family workers, total (% of total employment) was 0.6% in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
0.6%
Change on year
up 2.9%
World rank
136th
of 187 countries
All-time high
2.5%
in 1994
All-time low
0.5%
in 2016
Years of data
35
1991–2025

Contributing family workers, total (% of total employment) in South Africa, 1991–2025

0.511.522.51991200820251991: 2.41992: 2.51993: 2.51994: 2.51995: 2.51996: 2.41997: 2.41998: 2.31999: 2.12000: 22001: 2.12002: 1.72003: 1.42004: 1.32005: 1.22006: 1.22007: 12008: 0.8572009: 0.8582010: 0.8542011: 0.7582012: 0.662013: 0.6362014: 0.5552015: 0.5632016: 0.4872017: 0.5362018: 0.5232019: 0.5552020: 0.6912021: 0.7582022: 0.6582023: 0.5922024: 0.6012025: 0.618

Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).

Analysis

South Africa recorded 0.6% for contributing family workers, total (% of total employment) in 2025.

The figure is up 2.9% on the previous year and up 9.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, contributing family workers, total (% of total employment) in South Africa peaked at 2.5% in 1994 and was at its lowest, 0.5%, in 2016.

That places South Africa 136th out of 187 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.

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

Contributing family workers, total (% of total employment) in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Contributing family workers, total (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate) in South Africa, 1991 to 2025.
Year Value Change
1991 2.4%
1992 2.5% +1.8%
1993 2.5% +1.2%
1994 2.5% +0.1%
1995 2.5% -1.3%
1996 2.4% -1.9%
1997 2.4% -2.2%
1998 2.3% -4.2%
1999 2.1% -5.7%
2000 2.0% -5.6%
2001 2.1% +3.5%
2002 1.7% -20.7%
2003 1.4% -16.3%
2004 1.3% -5.7%
2005 1.2% -10.7%
2006 1.2% +3.7%
2007 1.0% -16.6%
2008 0.9% -15.3%
2009 0.9% +0.1%
2010 0.9% -0.4%
2011 0.8% -11.3%
2012 0.7% -12.9%
2013 0.6% -3.6%
2014 0.6% -12.7%
2015 0.6% +1.4%
2016 0.5% -13.4%
2017 0.5% +10.0%
2018 0.5% -2.5%
2019 0.6% +6.2%
2020 0.7% +24.3%
2021 0.8% +9.8%
2022 0.7% -13.2%
2023 0.6% -10.1%
2024 0.6% +1.6%
2025 0.6% +2.9%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 2.4% 2.1% 2.5% 9
2000s 1.4% 0.9% 2.1% 10
2010s 0.6% 0.5% 0.9% 10
2020s 0.7% 0.6% 0.8% 6

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 133 Belgium 0.7% compare
  2. 134 Cyprus 0.6% compare
  3. 135 Poland 0.6% compare
  4. 137 Finland 0.6% compare
  5. 138 New Zealand 0.6% compare
  6. 139 Brunei Darussalam 0.6% compare

See the full ranking of 235 places →

More work & labour data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is contributing family workers, total (% of total employment) in South Africa?
Contributing family workers, total (% of total employment) in South Africa was 0.6% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
What is the highest contributing family workers, total (% of total employment) recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 2.5% in 1994.
What is the lowest contributing family workers, total (% of total employment) recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 0.5% in 2016.
How does South Africa rank for contributing family workers, total (% of total employment)?
South Africa ranks 136th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
Is contributing family workers, total (% of total employment) rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 9.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Contributing family workers, total (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Contributing family workers, total (% of total employment) in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO). Retrieved 13 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/contributing-family-workers-total-percent-of-total-employment-modeled-ilo-estimate/south-africa/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/contributing-family-workers-total-percent-of-total-employment-modeled-ilo-estimate/south-africa/">Contributing family workers, total (% of total employment) in South Africa</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Contributing family workers, total (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate)
Source
ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
235 places, 8,211 data points, 1991–2025
Last refreshed

Contributing family workers are those workers who hold "self-employment jobs" as own-account workers in a market-oriented establishment operated by a related person living in the same household.