LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Southern Africa
Southern Africa: LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force was 41.66 in 2027. ▲ Rising
LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Southern Africa, 2004–2027
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
Southern Africa recorded 41.66 for lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in 2027.
That represents a change of up 0.3% on the previous year and up 17.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Southern Africa peaked at 43.6 in 2021 and was at its lowest, 29.46, in 2007.
That places Southern Africa 1st out of 87 groups with data for 2027, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.
LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Southern Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 30.08 | — |
| 2005 | 29.88 | -0.7% |
| 2006 | 29.58 | -1.0% |
| 2007 | 29.46 | -0.4% |
| 2008 | 29.53 | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 31.9 | +8.0% |
| 2010 | 34.53 | +8.3% |
| 2011 | 34.67 | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 34.52 | -0.4% |
| 2013 | 34.27 | -0.7% |
| 2014 | 34.26 | -0.0% |
| 2015 | 33.96 | -0.9% |
| 2016 | 35.25 | +3.8% |
| 2017 | 35.54 | +0.8% |
| 2018 | 36.1 | +1.6% |
| 2019 | 37.41 | +3.6% |
| 2020 | 40.65 | +8.7% |
| 2021 | 43.6 | +7.2% |
| 2022 | 42.41 | -2.7% |
| 2023 | 40.38 | -4.8% |
| 2024 | 40.71 | +0.8% |
| 2025 | 41.45 | +1.8% |
| 2026 | 41.55 | +0.2% |
| 2027 | 41.66 | +0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 30.07 | 29.46 | 31.9 | 6 |
| 2010s | 35.05 | 33.96 | 37.41 | 10 |
| 2020s | 41.55 | 40.38 | 43.6 | 8 |
More work & labour data for Southern Africa
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 52,126 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual 0.1816 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth 0.1951 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth 0.1707 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -0.9822 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.9762 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 66,232 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 108,649 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 56,523 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 19,568 1000 No (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Southern Africa?
- Lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force in Southern Africa was 41.66 in 2027, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force recorded in Southern Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 43.6 in 2021.
- What is the lowest lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force recorded in Southern Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 29.46 in 2007.
- How does Southern Africa rank for lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force?
- Southern Africa ranks 1st out of 87 groups with data for 2027.
- Is lu3: combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force rising or falling in Southern Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 17.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Southern Africa data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of LU3: Combined rate of unemployment and potential labour force (ILO modelled estimates). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 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. LU3 represents the share of the extended labour force that are in unemployment or the potential labour force. For more information, refer to the ILO Modelled Estimates (ILOEST) database description.