Employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, male (%) in South Africa
South Africa: Employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, male (%) was 12.7% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, male (%) in South Africa, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
South Africa recorded 12.7% for employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, male (%) in 2025.
The figure is up 1.5% on the previous year and down 20.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, male (%) in South Africa peaked at 30.6% in 1996 and was at its lowest, 9.2%, in 2021.
That places South Africa 186th out of 187 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, male (%) in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 29.3% | — |
| 1992 | 29.2% | -0.5% |
| 1993 | 28.6% | -2.1% |
| 1994 | 28.8% | +0.6% |
| 1995 | 30.0% | +4.2% |
| 1996 | 30.6% | +2.2% |
| 1997 | 30.5% | -0.5% |
| 1998 | 29.3% | -4.0% |
| 1999 | 28.0% | -4.2% |
| 2000 | 26.9% | -3.9% |
| 2001 | 25.8% | -4.1% |
| 2002 | 24.7% | -4.4% |
| 2003 | 23.5% | -4.8% |
| 2004 | 22.6% | -3.7% |
| 2005 | 21.9% | -3.1% |
| 2006 | 21.4% | -2.4% |
| 2007 | 20.8% | -2.5% |
| 2008 | 20.3% | -2.7% |
| 2009 | 17.4% | -14.0% |
| 2010 | 15.3% | -12.1% |
| 2011 | 15.1% | -1.5% |
| 2012 | 14.8% | -1.7% |
| 2013 | 14.7% | -0.7% |
| 2014 | 14.6% | -1.1% |
| 2015 | 16.0% | +9.5% |
| 2016 | 15.1% | -5.1% |
| 2017 | 15.0% | -0.9% |
| 2018 | 14.4% | -4.0% |
| 2019 | 13.2% | -8.3% |
| 2020 | 10.2% | -23.2% |
| 2021 | 9.2% | -9.3% |
| 2022 | 11.9% | +29.5% |
| 2023 | 12.6% | +5.4% |
| 2024 | 12.5% | -0.8% |
| 2025 | 12.7% | +1.5% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 12.7% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 36.1%, 35% of the median. (53 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 12.7% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 38.1%, 33% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, male (%) in South Africa changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | +29.5% | 9.2% | 11.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 29.4% | 28.0% | 30.6% | 9 |
| 2000s | 22.5% | 17.4% | 26.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.8% | 13.2% | 16.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 11.5% | 9.2% | 12.7% | 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 to population ratio, ages 15-24, male (%) in South Africa?
- Employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, male (%) in South Africa was 12.7% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, male (%) recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 30.6% in 1996.
- What is the lowest employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, male (%) recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.2% in 2021.
- How does South Africa rank for employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, male (%)?
- South Africa ranks 186th out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, male (%) rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 20.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- 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 to population ratio, ages 15-24, male (%) (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 to population ratio is the proportion of a country's population that is employed.