Employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, total (%) in South Africa

South Africa: Employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, total (%) was 10.7% in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
10.7%
Change on year
down 0.9%
World rank
155th
of 155 countries
All-time high
16.7%
in 2008
All-time low
7.6%
in 2021
Years of data
25
2000–2024

Employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, total (%) in South Africa, 2000–2024

0510152000201220242000: 13.72001: 132002: 122003: 11.12004: 11.82005: 12.22006: 12.92007: 13.62008: 16.72009: 14.52010: 12.82011: 12.72012: 12.32013: 12.52014: 12.32015: 13.32016: 12.32017: 12.52018: 11.92019: 112020: 8.52021: 7.62022: 9.92023: 10.82024: 10.7

Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).

Analysis

South Africa recorded 10.7% for employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, total (%) in 2024.

The figure is down 0.9% on the previous year and down 13.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, total (%) in South Africa peaked at 16.7% in 2008 and was at its lowest, 7.6%, in 2021.

South Africa ranks 155th of 155 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.

Employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, total (%) in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, total (%) (national estimate) in South Africa, 2000 to 2024.
Year Value Change
2000 13.7%
2001 13.0% -4.5%
2002 12.0% -8.1%
2003 11.1% -7.3%
2004 11.8% +5.8%
2005 12.2% +3.4%
2006 12.9% +5.9%
2007 13.6% +5.3%
2008 16.7% +23.4%
2009 14.5% -13.3%
2010 12.8% -12.0%
2011 12.7% -0.7%
2012 12.3% -3.3%
2013 12.5% +2.1%
2014 12.3% -1.6%
2015 13.3% +7.9%
2016 12.3% -7.2%
2017 12.5% +1.3%
2018 11.9% -5.1%
2019 11.0% -6.9%
2020 8.5% -23.0%
2021 7.6% -9.9%
2022 9.9% +29.8%
2023 10.8% +8.5%
2024 10.7% -0.9%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 13.1% 11.1% 16.7% 10
2010s 12.4% 11.0% 13.3% 10
2020s 9.5% 7.6% 10.8% 5

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 152 Morocco 15.4% compare
  2. 153 Jordan 15.2% compare
  3. 154 Tunisia 14.3% compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More work & labour data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, total (%) in South Africa?
Employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, total (%) in South Africa was 10.7% in 2024, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
What is the highest employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, total (%) recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 16.7% in 2008.
What is the lowest employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, total (%) recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 7.6% in 2021.
How does South Africa rank for employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, total (%)?
South Africa ranks 155th out of 155 countries with data for 2024.
Is employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, total (%) rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 13.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, total (%) (national estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, total (%) in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO). Retrieved 13 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/employment-to-population-ratio-ages-15-24-total-percent-national-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/employment-to-population-ratio-ages-15-24-total-percent-national-estimate/south-africa/">Employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, total (%) in South Africa</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Employment to population ratio, ages 15-24, total (%) (national estimate)
Source
Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
176 places, 4,009 data points, 1960–2025
Last refreshed

Employment to population ratio is the proportion of a country's population that is employed.