NEET: Youth not in employment, education or training in South Africa

South Africa: NEET: Youth not in employment, education or training was 3,772 in 2027. ▬ Flat

Latest (2027)
3,772
Change on year
up 1.5%
World rank
15th
of 188 countries
All-time high
3,850
in 2005
All-time low
3,175
in 2017
Years of data
23
2005–2027

NEET: Youth not in employment, education or training in South Africa, 2005–2027

01.0k2.0k3.0k4.0k2005201620272005: 3.9k2006: 3.8k2007: 3.7k2008: 3.7k2009: 3.7k2010: 3.7k2011: 3.6k2012: 3.6k2013: 3.5k2014: 3.4k2015: 3.3k2016: 3.3k2017: 3.2k2018: 3.2k2019: 3.3k2020: 3.3k2021: 3.4k2022: 3.6k2023: 3.5k2024: 3.6k2025: 3.7k2026: 3.7k2027: 3.8k

Source: International Labour Organization.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 3,772 for neet: youth not in employment, education or training in 2027.

That represents a change of up 1.5% on the previous year and up 18.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, neet: youth not in employment, education or training in South Africa peaked at 3,850 in 2005 and was at its lowest, 3,175, in 2017.

That places South Africa 15th out of 188 countries with data for 2027, putting it in the top 10%.

NEET: Youth not in employment, education or training in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for NEET: Youth not in employment, education or training (ILO modelled estimates) in South Africa, 2005 to 2027.
Year Value Change
2005 3,850
2006 3,779 -1.8%
2007 3,717 -1.7%
2008 3,706 -0.3%
2009 3,708 +0.1%
2010 3,688 -0.5%
2011 3,589 -2.7%
2012 3,550 -1.1%
2013 3,473 -2.2%
2014 3,374 -2.9%
2015 3,275 -2.9%
2016 3,276 +0.0%
2017 3,175 -3.1%
2018 3,227 +1.6%
2019 3,320 +2.9%
2020 3,322 +0.1%
2021 3,390 +2.1%
2022 3,638 +7.3%
2023 3,528 -3.0%
2024 3,621 +2.6%
2025 3,667 +1.3%
2026 3,717 +1.4%
2027 3,772 +1.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 3,752 3,706 3,850 5
2010s 3,395 3,175 3,688 10
2020s 3,582 3,322 3,772 8

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 12 Ethiopia 5,103 compare
  2. 13 Sudan 4,723 compare
  3. 14 Yemen 3,872 compare
  4. 16 Iraq 3,656 compare
  5. 17 Mexico 3,593 compare
  6. 18 Iran, Islamic Republic of 3,359 compare

See the full ranking of 276 places →

More work & labour data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is neet: youth not in employment, education or training in South Africa?
Neet: youth not in employment, education or training in South Africa was 3,772 in 2027, according to International Labour Organization.
What is the highest neet: youth not in employment, education or training recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 3,850 in 2005.
What is the lowest neet: youth not in employment, education or training recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 3,175 in 2017.
How does South Africa rank for neet: youth not in employment, education or training?
South Africa ranks 15th out of 188 countries with data for 2027.
Is neet: youth not in employment, education or training rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 18.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of NEET: Youth not in employment, education or training (ILO modelled estimates). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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NEET: Youth not in employment, education or training in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization. Retrieved 06 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/neet-youth-not-in-employment-education-or-training-ilo-modelled-estimates/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
NEET: Youth not in employment, education or training (ILO modelled estimates)
Source
International Labour Organization
Licence
ILO Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
276 places, 6,324 data points, 2005–2027
Last refreshed

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. Youth not in education are those who were neither enrolled in school nor in a formal training program (e.g. vocational training) during a specified reference period (e.g., one week). For statistical purposes, youth are defined as persons between the ages of 15 and 24 years. For more information, refer to the ILO Modelled Estimates (ILOEST) database description.