Female labor force by age in South Africa

South Africa: Female labor force by age was 131,182 in 2024. β–² Rising

Latest (2024)
131,182
Change on year
up 18.6%
World rank
55th
of 188 countries
All-time high
131,182
in 2024
All-time low
38,486
in 1990
Years of data
35
1990–2024

Female labor force by age in South Africa, 1990–2024

40.0k60.0k80.0k100.0k120.0k140.0k1990200720241990: 38.5k1991: 39.5k1992: 41.2k1993: 41.8k1994: 43.3k1995: 46.7k1996: 50.1k1997: 53.7k1998: 56.4k1999: 58.9k2000: 61.1k2001: 63.4k2002: 65.5k2003: 67.6k2004: 69.6k2005: 71.5k2006: 72.9k2007: 74.0k2008: 75.1k2009: 68.9k2010: 71.0k2011: 59.3k2012: 47.9k2013: 68.1k2014: 76.9k2015: 83.6k2016: 72.2k2017: 81.8k2018: 97.2k2019: 92.0k2020: 87.1k2021: 84.3k2022: 79.1k2023: 110.6k2024: 131.2k

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 131,182 for female labor force by age in 2024. That is the highest value across all 35 years on record.

The figure is up 18.6% on the previous year and up 70.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, female labor force by age in South Africa peaked at 131,182 in 2024 and was at its lowest, 38,486, in 1990.

That places South Africa 55th out of 188 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 47,000 38,486 58,902 10
2000s 68,978 61,142 75,136 10
2010s 75,012 47,935 97,233 10
2020s 98,440 79,097 131,182 5

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 52 Myanmar 141,277 compare
  2. 53 Taiwan 141,007 compare
  3. 54 Netherlands 138,554 compare
  4. 56 Georgia 130,258 compare
  5. 57 Benin 130,223 compare
  6. 58 Egypt 126,058 compare

See the full ranking of 195 places β†’

More work & labour data for South Africa

All data for South Africa β†’

Frequently asked questions

What is female labor force by age in South Africa?
Female labor force by age in South Africa was 131,182 in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest female labor force by age recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 131,182 in 2024.
What is the lowest female labor force by age recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 38,486 in 1990.
How does South Africa rank for female labor force by age?
South Africa ranks 55th out of 188 countries with data for 2024.
Is female labor force by age rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 70.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Female labor force by age. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Female labor force by age in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 17 August 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/female-labor-force-by-age/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Female labor force by age
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
195 places, 6,816 data points, 1990–2024
Last refreshed