Labor force with advanced education, female in South Africa

South Africa: Labor force with advanced education, female was 78.7% in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
78.7%
Change on year
down 0.0%
World rank
40th
of 125 countries
All-time high
83.2%
in 2008
All-time low
76.3%
in 2020
Years of data
24
2000–2024

Labor force with advanced education, female in South Africa, 2000–2024

0204060802000201220242000: 78.7 % of female working-age population with advanced education2001: 82.5 % of female working-age population with advanced education2002: 82.7 % of female working-age population with advanced education2003: 81.8 % of female working-age population with advanced education2004: 81.6 % of female working-age population with advanced education2005: 81.5 % of female working-age population with advanced education2006: 80.8 % of female working-age population with advanced education2007: 80.9 % of female working-age population with advanced education2008: 83.2 % of female working-age population with advanced education2009: 82.8 % of female working-age population with advanced education2010: 81.3 % of female working-age population with advanced education2011: 80.5 % of female working-age population with advanced education2013: 80.6 % of female working-age population with advanced education2014: 80.5 % of female working-age population with advanced education2015: 80.7 % of female working-age population with advanced education2016: 79.4 % of female working-age population with advanced education2017: 80.4 % of female working-age population with advanced education2018: 80.2 % of female working-age population with advanced education2019: 79 % of female working-age population with advanced education2020: 76.3 % of female working-age population with advanced education2021: 76.7 % of female working-age population with advanced education2022: 77 % of female working-age population with advanced education2023: 78.8 % of female working-age population with advanced education2024: 78.7 % of female working-age population with advanced education

Source: Education and Mismatch Indicators database (EMI), International Labour Organization (ILO). Measured in % of female working-age population with advanced education.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 78.7% for labor force with advanced education, female in 2024.

The figure is down 2.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, labor force with advanced education, female in South Africa peaked at 83.2% in 2008 and was at its lowest, 76.3%, in 2020.

That places South Africa 40th out of 125 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.

Labor force with advanced education, female in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Labor force with advanced education, female (% of female working-age population with advanced education) in South Africa, 2000 to 2024.
Year % of female working-age population with advanced education Change
2000 78.7%
2001 82.5% +4.9%
2002 82.7% +0.2%
2003 81.8% -1.2%
2004 81.6% -0.2%
2005 81.5% -0.0%
2006 80.8% -0.9%
2007 80.9% +0.1%
2008 83.2% +2.9%
2009 82.8% -0.6%
2010 81.3% -1.8%
2011 80.5% -0.9%
2013 80.6% +0.0%
2014 80.5% -0.0%
2015 80.7% +0.2%
2016 79.4% -1.6%
2017 80.4% +1.3%
2018 80.2% -0.3%
2019 79.0% -1.5%
2020 76.3% -3.5%
2021 76.7% +0.6%
2022 77.0% +0.4%
2023 78.8% +2.3%
2024 78.7% -0.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 81.7% 78.7% 83.2% 10
2010s 80.3% 79.0% 81.3% 9
2020s 77.5% 76.3% 78.8% 5

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 37 Angola 79.4% compare
  2. 38 Brunei Darussalam 79.2% compare
  3. 39 Luxembourg 78.8% compare
  4. 41 Uruguay 78.7% compare
  5. 42 Lithuania 78.7% compare
  6. 43 Spain 78.4% compare

See the full ranking of 144 places →

More work & labour data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is labor force with advanced education, female in South Africa?
Labor force with advanced education, female in South Africa was 78.7% in 2024, according to Education and Mismatch Indicators database (EMI), International Labour Organization (ILO).
What is the highest labor force with advanced education, female recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 83.2% in 2008.
What is the lowest labor force with advanced education, female recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 76.3% in 2020.
How does South Africa rank for labor force with advanced education, female?
South Africa ranks 40th out of 125 countries with data for 2024.
Is labor force with advanced education, female rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 2.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from Education and Mismatch Indicators database (EMI), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Labor force with advanced education, female (% of female working-age population with advanced education). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Labor force with advanced education, female in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Education and Mismatch Indicators database (EMI), International Labour Organization (ILO). Retrieved 11 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/labor-force-with-advanced-education-female-percent-of-female-working-age-population-with/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Labor force with advanced education, female (% of female working-age population with advanced education)
Unit
% of female working-age population with advanced education
Source
Education and Mismatch Indicators database (EMI), International Labour Organization (ILO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
144 places, 2,658 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

The ratio of the labor force with advanced education to the working-age population with advanced education. Advanced education comprises short-cycle tertiary education, a bachelor’s degree or equivalent education level, a master’s degree or equivalent education level, or doctoral degree or equivalent education level according to the International Standard Classification of Education 2011 (ISCED 2011).