Share in informal employment male in South Africa

South Africa: Share in informal employment male was 35.01 in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
35.01
Change on year
up 2.1%
World rank
43rd
of 82 countries
All-time high
50.76
in 2000
All-time low
29.69
in 2014
Years of data
25
2000–2024

Share in informal employment male in South Africa, 2000–2024

02040602000201220242000: 50.82001: 48.52002: 45.32003: 44.22004: 44.42005: 45.82006: 47.12007: 47.62008: 32.32009: 30.42010: 31.52011: 30.42012: 29.72013: 29.82014: 29.72015: 32.62016: 32.42017: 32.52018: 33.22019: 33.22020: 30.72021: 31.82022: 34.52023: 34.32024: 35

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

In 2024, share in informal employment male in South Africa stood at 35.01.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.1% on the previous year and up 17.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share in informal employment male in South Africa peaked at 50.76 in 2000 and was at its lowest, 29.69, in 2014.

That places South Africa 43rd out of 82 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.

Share in informal employment male in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Share in informal employment male in South Africa, 2000 to 2024.
Year Value Change
2000 50.76 —
2001 48.45 -4.6%
2002 45.28 -6.5%
2003 44.18 -2.4%
2004 44.42 +0.5%
2005 45.82 +3.2%
2006 47.1 +2.8%
2007 47.63 +1.1%
2008 32.3 -32.2%
2009 30.45 -5.7%
2010 31.47 +3.3%
2011 30.4 -3.4%
2012 29.74 -2.2%
2013 29.82 +0.3%
2014 29.69 -0.4%
2015 32.6 +9.8%
2016 32.39 -0.6%
2017 32.48 +0.3%
2018 33.23 +2.3%
2019 33.18 -0.2%
2020 30.7 -7.5%
2021 31.78 +3.5%
2022 34.49 +8.5%
2023 34.29 -0.6%
2024 35.01 +2.1%

South Africa compared with similar countries

  • South Africa's 35.01 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 57.69, 61% of the median. (29 countries reporting)
  • South Africa's 35.01 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 82.32, 43% of the median. (12 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Share in informal employment male in South Africa changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
2008 -32.2% 47.63 32.3

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 43.64 30.45 50.76 10
2010s 31.5 29.69 33.23 10
2020s 33.25 30.7 35.01 5

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 40 Costa Rica 37.38 compare
  2. 41 Brazil 37.23 compare
  3. 42 Saint Lucia 35.43 compare
  4. 44 Mongolia 30.63 compare
  5. 45 Uruguay 29.55 compare
  6. 46 Mauritius 26.78 compare

See the full ranking of 82 places →

More work & labour data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is share in informal employment male in South Africa?
Share in informal employment male in South Africa was 35.01 in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest share in informal employment male recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 50.76 in 2000.
What is the lowest share in informal employment male recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 29.69 in 2014.
How does South Africa rank for share in informal employment male?
South Africa ranks 43rd out of 82 countries with data for 2024.
Is share in informal employment male rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 17.9%. 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 Share in informal employment male. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share in informal employment male in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 10 November 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/share-in-informal-employment-male/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Share in informal employment male
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
82 places, 1,190 data points, 2000–2025
Last refreshed