Inspectors per 10'000 employed persons in South Africa

South Africa: Inspectors per 10'000 employed persons was 1.08 in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
1.08
Change on year
down 1.8%
World rank
16th
of 62 countries
All-time high
1.23
in 2022
All-time low
0.53
in 2009
Years of data
11
2009–2024

Inspectors per 10'000 employed persons in South Africa, 2009–2024

00.250.50.7511.22009201620242009: 0.532010: 0.952013: 0.832014: 0.822015: 0.552016: 0.822017: 0.792018: 0.772022: 1.22023: 1.12024: 1.1

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 1.08 for inspectors per 10'000 employed persons in 2024.

That represents a change of down 1.8% on the previous year and up 31.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, inspectors per 10'000 employed persons in South Africa peaked at 1.23 in 2022 and was at its lowest, 0.53, in 2009.

That places South Africa 16th out of 62 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 11 years of available data.

Inspectors per 10'000 employed persons in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Inspectors per 10'000 employed persons in South Africa, 2009 to 2024.
Year Value Change
2009 0.53
2010 0.95 +79.2%
2013 0.83 -12.6%
2014 0.82 -1.2%
2015 0.55 -32.9%
2016 0.82 +49.1%
2017 0.79 -3.7%
2018 0.77 -2.5%
2022 1.23 +59.7%
2023 1.1 -10.6%
2024 1.08 -1.8%

South Africa compared with similar countries

  • South Africa's 1.08 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.45, 2.4× the median. (20 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 0.53 0.53 0.53 1
2010s 0.79 0.55 0.95 7
2020s 1.14 1.08 1.23 3

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 13 Slovakia 1.12 compare
  2. 14 Croatia 1.1 compare
  3. 14 Norway 1.1 compare
  4. 17 Spain 1.07 compare
  5. 18 Portugal 0.94 compare
  6. 18 Slovenia 0.94 compare

See the full ranking of 62 places →

More work & labour data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is inspectors per 10'000 employed persons in South Africa?
Inspectors per 10'000 employed persons in South Africa was 1.08 in 2024, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest inspectors per 10'000 employed persons recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 1.23 in 2022.
What is the lowest inspectors per 10'000 employed persons recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 0.53 in 2009.
How does South Africa rank for inspectors per 10'000 employed persons?
South Africa ranks 16th out of 62 countries with data for 2024.
Is inspectors per 10'000 employed persons rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 31.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Inspectors per 10'000 employed persons. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Inspectors per 10'000 employed persons in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 21 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/inspectors-per-10-000-employed-persons/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Inspectors per 10'000 employed persons
Source
International Labour Organization
Licence
ILO Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
62 places, 684 data points, 2009–2024
Last refreshed

This indicator conveys the average number of labour inspectors per 10,000 employed persons, which provides some indication of the resources available for monitoring and enforncing appropriate work conditions and the corresponding standards. Labour inspectors are public officials or other authorities who are responsible for three key labour inspection activities: a) securing the enforcement of the legal provisions relating to conditions of work and the protection of workers while engaged in their work, such as provisions relating to hours, wages, safety, health and welfare, the employment of children and young persons, and other connected matters, in so far as such provisions are enforceable by labour inspectors; b) supplying technical information and advice to employers and workers concerning the most effective means of complying with the legal provisions; c) bringing to the notice of the competent authority defects or abuses not specifically covered by existing legal provisions. Labour inspectors have the authority to initiate processes that may lead to legal action. For more information, refer to the Occupational Safety and Health Statistics (OSH) database description.