Labor force (15-24 years), male in South Africa

South Africa: Labor force (15-24 years), male was 55.2% in 2011. ▼ Falling

Latest (2011)
55.2%
Change on year
down 0.1%
World rank
20th
of 52 countries
All-time high
58.5%
in 1990
All-time low
54.1%
in 2003
Years of data
22
1990–2011

Labor force (15-24 years), male in South Africa, 1990–2011

02040601990200020111990: 58.5 % of total labor force 15-24 years1991: 58.1 % of total labor force 15-24 years1992: 57.6 % of total labor force 15-24 years1993: 57.1 % of total labor force 15-24 years1994: 56.6 % of total labor force 15-24 years1995: 56.2 % of total labor force 15-24 years1996: 55.9 % of total labor force 15-24 years1997: 55.6 % of total labor force 15-24 years1998: 55.3 % of total labor force 15-24 years1999: 55 % of total labor force 15-24 years2000: 54.8 % of total labor force 15-24 years2001: 54.6 % of total labor force 15-24 years2002: 54.4 % of total labor force 15-24 years2003: 54.1 % of total labor force 15-24 years2004: 54.5 % of total labor force 15-24 years2005: 54.9 % of total labor force 15-24 years2006: 55.3 % of total labor force 15-24 years2007: 55.6 % of total labor force 15-24 years2008: 55.4 % of total labor force 15-24 years2009: 55.3 % of total labor force 15-24 years2010: 55.3 % of total labor force 15-24 years2011: 55.2 % of total labor force 15-24 years

Source: ILO Key Indicators of the Labour Market (KILM). Measured in % of total labor force 15-24 years.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 55.2% for labor force (15-24 years), male in 2011.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.1% on the previous year and up 1.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, labor force (15-24 years), male in South Africa peaked at 58.5% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 54.1%, in 2003.

South Africa ranks 20th of 52 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 22 years of available data.

Labor force (15-24 years), male in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Labor force (15-24 years), male (% of total labor force 15-24 years) in South Africa, 1990 to 2011.
Year % of total labor force 15-24 years Change
1990 58.5%
1991 58.1% -0.7%
1992 57.6% -0.8%
1993 57.1% -0.8%
1994 56.6% -0.8%
1995 56.2% -0.7%
1996 55.9% -0.6%
1997 55.6% -0.6%
1998 55.3% -0.5%
1999 55.0% -0.5%
2000 54.8% -0.4%
2001 54.6% -0.3%
2002 54.4% -0.4%
2003 54.1% -0.5%
2004 54.5% +0.7%
2005 54.9% +0.7%
2006 55.3% +0.8%
2007 55.6% +0.7%
2008 55.4% -0.4%
2009 55.3% -0.3%
2010 55.3% +0.0%
2011 55.2% -0.1%

South Africa compared with similar countries

  • South Africa's 55.2% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 58.5%, 94% of the median. (8 countries reporting)
  • South Africa's 55.2% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 52.6%, 1.0× the median. (46 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 56.6% 55.0% 58.5% 10
2000s 54.9% 54.1% 55.6% 10
2010s 55.3% 55.2% 55.3% 2

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 17 Lesotho 58.6% compare
  2. 18 Eswatini 58.5% compare
  3. 19 Equatorial Guinea 58.3% compare
  4. 21 Kenya 55.1% compare
  5. 22 Nigeria 54.6% compare
  6. 23 Djibouti 54.5% compare

See the full ranking of 58 places →

More work & labour data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is labor force (15-24 years), male in South Africa?
Labor force (15-24 years), male in South Africa was 55.2% in 2011, according to ILO Key Indicators of the Labour Market (KILM).
What is the highest labor force (15-24 years), male recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 58.5% in 1990.
What is the lowest labor force (15-24 years), male recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 54.1% in 2003.
How does South Africa rank for labor force (15-24 years), male?
South Africa ranks 20th out of 52 countries with data for 2011.
Is labor force (15-24 years), male rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 1.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from ILO Key Indicators of the Labour Market (KILM), published as part of Labor force (15-24 years), male (% of total labor force 15-24 years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Labor force (15-24 years), male in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on ILO Key Indicators of the Labour Market (KILM). Retrieved 15 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/labor-force-15-24-years-male-percent-of-total-labor-force-15-24-years/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Labor force (15-24 years), male (% of total labor force 15-24 years)
Unit
% of total labor force 15-24 years
Source
ILO Key Indicators of the Labour Market (KILM)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
58 places, 1,276 data points, 1990–2011
Last refreshed

Labor participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-24)