Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) in South Africa
South Africa: Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) was 27,412 in 2027. β² Rising
Labour force (ILO modelled estimates) in South Africa, 1990β2027
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
The most recent figure for labour force (ilo modelled estimates) in South Africa is 27,412, measured in 2027. That is the highest value across all 38 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.2% on the previous year and up 19.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labour force (ilo modelled estimates) in South Africa peaked at 27,412 in 2027 and was at its lowest, 14,740, in 1990.
That places South Africa 26th out of 189 countries with data for 2027, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 38 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 16,032 | 14,740 | 17,270 | 10 |
| 2000s | 18,897 | 17,579 | 19,985 | 10 |
| 2010s | 21,564 | 19,314 | 23,899 | 10 |
| 2020s | 25,464 | 22,348 | 27,412 | 8 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More work & labour data for South Africa
- Population - Est. & Proj. β Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.242 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. β Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.2122 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. β Rural population, annual growth rate -1.23 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. β Urban population, annual growth rate 0.8748 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. β Urban population 58,057 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. β Rural population 14,698 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. β Total Population - Female 49,126 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. β Total Population - Male 45,189 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. β Total Population - Both sexes 94,314 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. β Total Population - Male, per unit of GDP 0 1000 No per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labour force (ilo modelled estimates) in South Africa?
- Labour force (ilo modelled estimates) in South Africa was 27,412 in 2027, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest labour force (ilo modelled estimates) recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 27,412 in 2027.
- What is the lowest labour force (ilo modelled estimates) recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 14,740 in 1990.
- How does South Africa rank for labour force (ilo modelled estimates)?
- South Africa ranks 26th out of 189 countries with data for 2027.
- Is labour force (ilo modelled estimates) rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 19.8%. 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 force (ILO modelled estimates) (15+). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV Β· JSON β 38 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. The labour force is the sum of all persons of working age who are employed and those who are unemployed. For more information, refer to the ILO Modelled Estimates (ILOEST) database description.