Employment in South Africa
South Africa: Employment was 18,073 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Employment in South Africa, 1991–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 18,073 for employment in 2025. That is the highest value across all 35 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.2% on the previous year and up 8.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment in South Africa peaked at 18,073 in 2025 and was at its lowest, 11,618, in 1991.
That places South Africa 36th out of 188 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Employment in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 11,618 | — |
| 1992 | 11,772 | +1.3% |
| 1993 | 12,066 | +2.5% |
| 1994 | 12,319 | +2.1% |
| 1995 | 12,487 | +1.4% |
| 1996 | 12,678 | +1.5% |
| 1997 | 12,862 | +1.5% |
| 1998 | 13,088 | +1.8% |
| 1999 | 13,318 | +1.8% |
| 2000 | 13,573 | +1.9% |
| 2001 | 13,835 | +1.9% |
| 2002 | 14,101 | +1.9% |
| 2003 | 14,338 | +1.7% |
| 2004 | 14,601 | +1.8% |
| 2005 | 14,845 | +1.7% |
| 2006 | 15,093 | +1.7% |
| 2007 | 15,316 | +1.5% |
| 2008 | 15,507 | +1.2% |
| 2009 | 15,011 | -3.2% |
| 2010 | 14,546 | -3.1% |
| 2011 | 14,768 | +1.5% |
| 2012 | 15,113 | +2.3% |
| 2013 | 15,613 | +3.3% |
| 2014 | 15,916 | +1.9% |
| 2015 | 16,617 | +4.4% |
| 2016 | 16,496 | -0.7% |
| 2017 | 16,701 | +1.2% |
| 2018 | 17,049 | +2.1% |
| 2019 | 17,095 | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 15,818 | -7.5% |
| 2021 | 15,496 | -2.0% |
| 2022 | 16,408 | +5.9% |
| 2023 | 17,456 | +6.4% |
| 2024 | 17,853 | +2.3% |
| 2025 | 18,073 | +1.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 12,468 | 11,618 | 13,318 | 9 |
| 2000s | 14,622 | 13,573 | 15,507 | 10 |
| 2010s | 15,992 | 14,546 | 17,095 | 10 |
| 2020s | 16,851 | 15,496 | 18,073 | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More work & labour data for South Africa
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.2264 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.242 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.2122 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.23 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.8748 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 58,057 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 14,698 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 49,126 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 45,189 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 94,314 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment in South Africa?
- Employment in South Africa was 18,073 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest employment recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 18,073 in 2025.
- What is the lowest employment recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 11,618 in 1991.
- How does South Africa rank for employment?
- South Africa ranks 36th out of 188 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Employment (ILO modelled estimates). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).
About this data
Imputed observations are not based on national data, are subject to high uncertainty and should not be used for country comparisons or rankings. This series is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. The employed comprise all persons of working age who, during a specified brief period, were in one of the following categories: a) paid employment (whether at work or with a job but not at work); or b) self-employment (whether at work or with an enterprise but not at work). Data disaggregated by economic activity are provided according to the latest version of the International Standard Industrial Classification of All Economic Activities (ISIC) available for that year. Data may have been regrouped from national classifications, which may not be strictly compatible with ISIC. For more information, refer to the ILO Modelled Estimates (ILOEST) database description.