Male labor participation rate in South Africa
South Africa: Male labor participation rate was 61.74 in 2025. ▼ Falling
Latest (2025)
61.74
Change on year
down 0.1%
World rank
158th
of 186 countries
All-time high
72.23
in 1997
All-time low
57.53
in 2020
Years of data
36
1990–2025
Male labor participation rate in South Africa, 1990–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, male labor participation rate in South Africa stood at 61.74.
The figure is down 0.1% on the previous year and down 0.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, male labor participation rate in South Africa peaked at 72.23 in 1997 and was at its lowest, 57.53, in 2020.
That places South Africa 158th out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.
Male labor participation rate in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 70.98 | — |
| 1991 | 70.8 | -0.3% |
| 1992 | 71 | +0.3% |
| 1993 | 70.52 | -0.7% |
| 1994 | 70.62 | +0.1% |
| 1995 | 71.58 | +1.4% |
| 1996 | 72.16 | +0.8% |
| 1997 | 72.23 | +0.1% |
| 1998 | 71.51 | -1.0% |
| 1999 | 70.72 | -1.1% |
| 2000 | 69.88 | -1.2% |
| 2001 | 69 | -1.3% |
| 2002 | 68.08 | -1.3% |
| 2003 | 67.2 | -1.3% |
| 2004 | 66.44 | -1.1% |
| 2005 | 65.83 | -0.9% |
| 2006 | 65.33 | -0.8% |
| 2007 | 64.9 | -0.7% |
| 2008 | 64.57 | -0.5% |
| 2009 | 62.53 | -3.2% |
| 2010 | 60.73 | -2.9% |
| 2011 | 60.06 | -1.1% |
| 2012 | 60.54 | +0.8% |
| 2013 | 60.66 | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 60.88 | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 62.15 | +2.1% |
| 2016 | 62.39 | +0.4% |
| 2017 | 62.79 | +0.7% |
| 2018 | 62.47 | -0.5% |
| 2019 | 62.59 | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 57.53 | -8.1% |
| 2021 | 59.2 | +2.9% |
| 2022 | 60.4 | +2.0% |
| 2023 | 61.46 | +1.7% |
| 2024 | 61.79 | +0.5% |
| 2025 | 61.74 | -0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 71.21 | 70.52 | 72.23 | 10 |
| 2000s | 66.38 | 62.53 | 69.88 | 10 |
| 2010s | 61.53 | 60.06 | 62.79 | 10 |
| 2020s | 60.35 | 57.53 | 61.79 | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 155 New Caledonia 62.01 compare
- 156 Ghana 61.84 compare
- 157 North Macedonia 61.84 compare
- 159 Romania 61.68 compare
- 160 Sudan 61.65 compare
- 161 Syrian Arab Republic 61.45 compare
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 male labor participation rate in South Africa?
- Male labor participation rate in South Africa was 61.74 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest male labor participation rate recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 72.23 in 1997.
- What is the lowest male labor participation rate recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 57.53 in 2020.
- How does South Africa rank for male labor participation rate?
- South Africa ranks 158th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is male labor participation rate rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Male labor participation rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).