Labour dependency ratio in South Africa
South Africa: Labour dependency ratio was 2.58 in 2027. ▲ Rising
Labour dependency ratio in South Africa, 1991–2027
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 2.58 for labour dependency ratio in 2027.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 5.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labour dependency ratio in South Africa peaked at 2.97 in 2021 and was at its lowest, 2.3, in 2008.
That places South Africa 20th out of 188 countries with data for 2027, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 37 years of available data.
Labour dependency ratio in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 2.59 | — |
| 1992 | 2.6 | +0.7% |
| 1993 | 2.59 | -0.7% |
| 1994 | 2.57 | -0.6% |
| 1995 | 2.57 | -0.2% |
| 1996 | 2.56 | -0.3% |
| 1997 | 2.55 | -0.4% |
| 1998 | 2.53 | -0.7% |
| 1999 | 2.51 | -0.9% |
| 2000 | 2.47 | -1.4% |
| 2001 | 2.44 | -1.5% |
| 2002 | 2.4 | -1.4% |
| 2003 | 2.38 | -0.9% |
| 2004 | 2.35 | -1.2% |
| 2005 | 2.33 | -0.9% |
| 2006 | 2.31 | -0.9% |
| 2007 | 2.3 | -0.6% |
| 2008 | 2.3 | -0.1% |
| 2009 | 2.45 | +6.5% |
| 2010 | 2.6 | +6.2% |
| 2011 | 2.59 | -0.3% |
| 2012 | 2.56 | -1.2% |
| 2013 | 2.5 | -2.2% |
| 2014 | 2.49 | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 2.41 | -3.2% |
| 2016 | 2.47 | +2.4% |
| 2017 | 2.45 | -0.8% |
| 2018 | 2.44 | -0.5% |
| 2019 | 2.49 | +2.0% |
| 2020 | 2.83 | +13.8% |
| 2021 | 2.97 | +4.9% |
| 2022 | 2.8 | -5.6% |
| 2023 | 2.62 | -6.5% |
| 2024 | 2.58 | -1.4% |
| 2025 | 2.58 | -0.1% |
| 2026 | 2.58 | -0.1% |
| 2027 | 2.58 | -0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.56 | 2.51 | 2.6 | 9 |
| 2000s | 2.37 | 2.3 | 2.47 | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.5 | 2.41 | 2.6 | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.69 | 2.58 | 2.97 | 8 |
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 labour dependency ratio in South Africa?
- Labour dependency ratio in South Africa was 2.58 in 2027, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest labour dependency ratio recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 2.97 in 2021.
- What is the lowest labour dependency ratio recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.3 in 2008.
- How does South Africa rank for labour dependency ratio?
- South Africa ranks 20th out of 188 countries with data for 2027.
- Is labour dependency ratio rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.2%. 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 Labour dependency ratio (ILO modelled estimates). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 37 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).
About this data
Imputed observations are not based on national data, are subject to high uncertainty and should not be used for country comparisons or rankings. This series is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. This indicator provides the ratio of dependents (persons aged 0 to 14 + persons aged 15 and above that are either outside the labour force or unemployed) to total employment. For more information, refer to the ILO Modelled Estimates (ILOEST) database description.