Employment in services, female (% of female employment) in South Africa
South Africa: Employment in services, female (% of female employment) was 84.6% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Employment in services, female (% of female employment) in South Africa, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
South Africa recorded 84.6% for employment in services, female (% of female employment) in 2025.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment in services, female (% of female employment) in South Africa peaked at 85.2% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 78.2%, in 2002.
That places South Africa 58th out of 187 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Employment in services, female (% of female employment) in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 80.7% | — |
| 1992 | 80.6% | -0.1% |
| 1993 | 80.7% | +0.1% |
| 1994 | 80.7% | -0.0% |
| 1995 | 80.5% | -0.2% |
| 1996 | 80.4% | -0.1% |
| 1997 | 80.4% | -0.0% |
| 1998 | 80.3% | -0.0% |
| 1999 | 80.5% | +0.2% |
| 2000 | 80.7% | +0.3% |
| 2001 | 80.3% | -0.5% |
| 2002 | 78.2% | -2.7% |
| 2003 | 79.8% | +2.0% |
| 2004 | 79.5% | -0.3% |
| 2005 | 81.1% | +2.0% |
| 2006 | 81.1% | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 82.2% | +1.4% |
| 2008 | 82.4% | +0.3% |
| 2009 | 83.0% | +0.7% |
| 2010 | 83.2% | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 83.4% | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 83.9% | +0.7% |
| 2013 | 83.9% | -0.0% |
| 2014 | 84.6% | +0.8% |
| 2015 | 83.9% | -0.8% |
| 2016 | 84.1% | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 83.9% | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 84.4% | +0.6% |
| 2019 | 84.1% | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 84.2% | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 84.9% | +0.8% |
| 2022 | 84.4% | -0.5% |
| 2023 | 85.2% | +0.9% |
| 2024 | 84.6% | -0.7% |
| 2025 | 84.6% | -0.0% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 84.6% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 74.0%, 1.1× the median. (53 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 84.6% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 45.1%, 1.9× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 80.5% | 80.3% | 80.7% | 9 |
| 2000s | 80.8% | 78.2% | 83.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 83.9% | 83.2% | 84.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 84.6% | 84.2% | 85.2% | 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 services, female (% of female employment) in South Africa?
- Employment in services, female (% of female employment) in South Africa was 84.6% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest employment in services, female (% of female employment) recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 85.2% in 2023.
- What is the lowest employment in services, female (% of female employment) recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 78.2% in 2002.
- How does South Africa rank for employment in services, female (% of female employment)?
- South Africa ranks 58th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment in services, female (% of female employment) rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- 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 Employment in services, female (% of female 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).
About this data
Employment is defined as persons of working age who were engaged in any activity to produce goods or provide services for pay or profit, whether at work during the reference period or not at work due to temporary absence from a job, or to working-time arrangement. The services sector consists of wholesale and retail trade and restaurants and hotels; transport, storage, and communications; financing, insurance, real estate, and business services; and community, social, and personal services, in accordance with divisions 6-9 (ISIC 2) or categories G-Q (ISIC 3) or categories G-U (ISIC 4).