Employment to population ratio men vs women in South Africa
South Africa: Employment to population ratio men vs women was 42.61 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
42.61
Change on year
down 0.9%
World rank
182nd
of 186 countries
All-time high
57.84
in 1997
All-time low
40.2
in 2021
Years of data
35
1991–2025
Employment to population ratio men vs women in South Africa, 1991–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 42.61 for employment to population ratio men vs women in 2025.
The figure is down 0.9% on the previous year and down 10.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment to population ratio men vs women in South Africa peaked at 57.84 in 1997 and was at its lowest, 40.2, in 2021.
That places South Africa 182nd out of 186 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 men vs women in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 56.12 | — |
| 1992 | 56.09 | -0.1% |
| 1993 | 55.75 | -0.6% |
| 1994 | 56.04 | +0.5% |
| 1995 | 57.11 | +1.9% |
| 1996 | 57.77 | +1.2% |
| 1997 | 57.84 | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 57.16 | -1.2% |
| 1999 | 56.45 | -1.2% |
| 2000 | 55.85 | -1.1% |
| 2001 | 55.24 | -1.1% |
| 2002 | 54.56 | -1.2% |
| 2003 | 53.81 | -1.4% |
| 2004 | 53.28 | -1.0% |
| 2005 | 52.85 | -0.8% |
| 2006 | 52.56 | -0.6% |
| 2007 | 52.24 | -0.6% |
| 2008 | 51.88 | -0.7% |
| 2009 | 48.86 | -5.8% |
| 2010 | 46.88 | -4.1% |
| 2011 | 46.54 | -0.7% |
| 2012 | 46.73 | +0.4% |
| 2013 | 46.76 | +0.1% |
| 2014 | 46.81 | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 47.75 | +2.0% |
| 2016 | 47.1 | -1.4% |
| 2017 | 46.99 | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 46.78 | -0.4% |
| 2019 | 45.84 | -2.0% |
| 2020 | 41.58 | -9.3% |
| 2021 | 40.2 | -3.3% |
| 2022 | 41.39 | +2.9% |
| 2023 | 43.04 | +4.0% |
| 2024 | 43 | -0.1% |
| 2025 | 42.61 | -0.9% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 42.61 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 65.9, 65% of the median. (53 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 42.61 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 64.52, 66% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 56.7 | 55.75 | 57.84 | 9 |
| 2000s | 53.11 | 48.86 | 55.85 | 10 |
| 2010s | 46.82 | 45.84 | 47.75 | 10 |
| 2020s | 41.97 | 40.2 | 43.04 | 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 men vs women in South Africa?
- Employment to population ratio men vs women in South Africa was 42.61 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest employment to population ratio men vs women recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 57.84 in 1997.
- What is the lowest employment to population ratio men vs women recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 40.2 in 2021.
- How does South Africa rank for employment to population ratio men vs women?
- South Africa ranks 182nd out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment to population ratio men vs women rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Employment to population ratio men vs women. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).