Share in vulnerable employment in South Africa

South Africa: Share in vulnerable employment was 11.66 in 2025. ▼ Falling

Latest (2025)
11.66
Change on year
down 0.3%
World rank
142nd
of 186 countries
All-time high
11.91
in 1992
All-time low
8.83
in 2014
Years of data
35
1991–2025

Share in vulnerable employment in South Africa, 1991–2025

02.557.51012.51991200820251991: 11.91992: 11.91993: 11.91994: 11.81995: 11.81996: 11.61997: 11.41998: 11.31999: 11.12000: 10.92001: 11.22002: 11.12003: 10.92004: 10.72005: 11.52006: 11.42007: 10.42008: 10.22009: 10.12010: 10.22011: 10.12012: 10.12013: 9.52014: 8.82015: 9.42016: 9.62017: 9.92018: 10.32019: 10.72020: 10.72021: 112022: 11.32023: 10.92024: 11.72025: 11.7

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 11.66 for share in vulnerable employment in 2025.

That represents a change of down 0.3% on the previous year and up 23.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share in vulnerable employment in South Africa peaked at 11.91 in 1992 and was at its lowest, 8.83, in 2014.

South Africa ranks 142nd of 186 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 11.63 11.06 11.91 9
2000s 10.83 10.09 11.49 10
2010s 9.87 8.83 10.67 10
2020s 11.21 10.68 11.7 6

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 139 North Macedonia 12.34 compare
  2. 140 Slovak Republic 11.76 compare
  3. 141 Guam 11.75 compare
  4. 143 United Kingdom 11.53 compare
  5. 144 Belgium 11.04 compare
  6. 145 Slovenia 10.61 compare

See the full ranking of 186 places →

More work & labour data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is share in vulnerable employment in South Africa?
Share in vulnerable employment in South Africa was 11.66 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest share in vulnerable employment recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 11.91 in 1992.
What is the lowest share in vulnerable employment recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 8.83 in 2014.
How does South Africa rank for share in vulnerable employment?
South Africa ranks 142nd out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
Is share in vulnerable employment rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 23.7%. 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 Share in vulnerable employment. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share in vulnerable employment in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 21 August 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/share-in-vulnerable-employment/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Share in vulnerable employment
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
186 places, 6,496 data points, 1991–2025
Last refreshed