Public employment in South Africa
South Africa: Public employment was 1,976 in 2024. ▲ Rising
Public employment in South Africa, 2018–2024
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
In 2024, public employment in South Africa stood at 1,976.
The figure is down 8.3% on the previous year and up 7.9% over ten years.
That places South Africa 32nd out of 47 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
Public employment in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 1,830 | — |
| 2019 | 1,866 | +1.9% |
| 2020 | 1,869 | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 1,914 | +2.4% |
| 2022 | 1,999 | +4.5% |
| 2023 | 2,155 | +7.8% |
| 2024 | 1,976 | -8.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 1,848 | 1,830 | 1,866 | 2 |
| 2020s | 1,983 | 1,869 | 2,155 | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 29 New Zealand 2,290 compare
- 30 Ireland 2,234 compare
- 31 Costa Rica 2,095 compare
- 33 Croatia 1,684 compare
- 34 Azerbaijan 1,520
- 35 Lithuania 1,377 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 public employment in South Africa?
- Public employment in South Africa was 1,976 in 2024, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest public employment recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 2,155 in 2023.
- What is the lowest public employment recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,830 in 2018.
- How does South Africa rank for public employment?
- South Africa ranks 32nd out of 47 countries with data for 2024.
- Is public employment rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.9%. 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 Public employment. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
With the aim of promoting international comparability, statistics presented on ILOSTAT are based on standard international definitions wherever feasible and may differ from official national figures. This series is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. For time series comparability, it includes countries that have implemented the 19th ICLS standards, for which data are also available in the Work Statistics -- 19th ICLS (WORK) database. The total public sector employment covers all employment of general government sector as defined in System of National Accounts 1993 plus employment of publicly owned enterprises and companies, resident and operating at central, state (or regional) and local levels of government. It covers all persons employed directly by those institutions, without regard for the particular type of employment contract. See the working paper: Statistics on Public Sector Employment: Methodology, Structures and Trends. For more information, refer to the Labour Force Statistics (LFS and STLFS) database description.