Employment in Southern Africa
Southern Africa: Employment was 20,937 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Employment in Southern Africa, 1991–2025
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
Southern Africa recorded 20,937 for employment in 2025. That is the highest value across all 35 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.3% on the previous year and up 9.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment in Southern Africa peaked at 20,937 in 2025 and was at its lowest, 13,243, in 1991.
Southern Africa ranks 75th of 87 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Employment in Southern Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 13,243 | — |
| 1992 | 13,433 | +1.4% |
| 1993 | 13,756 | +2.4% |
| 1994 | 14,031 | +2.0% |
| 1995 | 14,219 | +1.3% |
| 1996 | 14,439 | +1.5% |
| 1997 | 14,652 | +1.5% |
| 1998 | 14,923 | +1.8% |
| 1999 | 15,207 | +1.9% |
| 2000 | 15,512 | +2.0% |
| 2001 | 15,788 | +1.8% |
| 2002 | 16,064 | +1.7% |
| 2003 | 16,307 | +1.5% |
| 2004 | 16,607 | +1.8% |
| 2005 | 16,888 | +1.7% |
| 2006 | 17,180 | +1.7% |
| 2007 | 17,449 | +1.6% |
| 2008 | 17,692 | +1.4% |
| 2009 | 17,239 | -2.6% |
| 2010 | 16,767 | -2.7% |
| 2011 | 17,048 | +1.7% |
| 2012 | 17,461 | +2.4% |
| 2013 | 18,025 | +3.2% |
| 2014 | 18,350 | +1.8% |
| 2015 | 19,055 | +3.8% |
| 2016 | 18,940 | -0.6% |
| 2017 | 19,172 | +1.2% |
| 2018 | 19,555 | +2.0% |
| 2019 | 19,626 | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 18,273 | -6.9% |
| 2021 | 18,015 | -1.4% |
| 2022 | 19,044 | +5.7% |
| 2023 | 20,215 | +6.1% |
| 2024 | 20,668 | +2.2% |
| 2025 | 20,937 | +1.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 14,211 | 13,243 | 15,207 | 9 |
| 2000s | 16,672 | 15,512 | 17,692 | 10 |
| 2010s | 18,400 | 16,767 | 19,626 | 10 |
| 2020s | 19,525 | 18,015 | 20,937 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Southern Africa
More work & labour data for Southern Africa
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 52,126 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 108,649 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.1816 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.1951 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.1707 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -0.9822 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.9762 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 56,523 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 66,232 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 19,568 1000 No (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment in Southern Africa?
- Employment in Southern Africa was 20,937 in 2025, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest employment recorded in Southern Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 20,937 in 2025.
- What is the lowest employment recorded in Southern Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 13,243 in 1991.
- How does Southern Africa rank for employment?
- Southern Africa ranks 75th out of 87 groups with data for 2025.
- Is employment rising or falling in Southern Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Southern 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.