Unemployment rate in South Africa
South Africa: Unemployment rate was 32.39 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
32.39
Change on year
up 0.3%
World rank
2nd
of 186 countries
All-time high
34.01
in 2021
All-time low
22.26
in 2007
Years of data
35
1991–2025
Unemployment rate in South Africa, 1991–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2025, unemployment rate in South Africa stood at 32.39.
The figure is up 0.3% on the previous year and up 28.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment rate in South Africa peaked at 34.01 in 2021 and was at its lowest, 22.26, in 2007.
South Africa ranks 2nd of 186 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Unemployment rate in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 23.14 | — |
| 1992 | 23.46 | +1.4% |
| 1993 | 23.36 | -0.4% |
| 1994 | 23.07 | -1.3% |
| 1995 | 22.7 | -1.6% |
| 1996 | 22.5 | -0.9% |
| 1997 | 22.55 | +0.2% |
| 1998 | 22.74 | +0.8% |
| 1999 | 22.88 | +0.6% |
| 2000 | 22.79 | -0.4% |
| 2001 | 22.65 | -0.6% |
| 2002 | 22.58 | -0.3% |
| 2003 | 22.68 | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 22.57 | -0.5% |
| 2005 | 22.47 | -0.4% |
| 2006 | 22.3 | -0.7% |
| 2007 | 22.26 | -0.2% |
| 2008 | 22.41 | +0.7% |
| 2009 | 23.52 | +5.0% |
| 2010 | 24.68 | +4.9% |
| 2011 | 24.64 | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 24.73 | +0.4% |
| 2013 | 24.56 | -0.7% |
| 2014 | 24.89 | +1.3% |
| 2015 | 25.15 | +1.0% |
| 2016 | 26.54 | +5.5% |
| 2017 | 27.04 | +1.9% |
| 2018 | 26.91 | -0.5% |
| 2019 | 28.47 | +5.8% |
| 2020 | 29.22 | +2.6% |
| 2021 | 34.01 | +16.4% |
| 2022 | 33.27 | -2.2% |
| 2023 | 32.1 | -3.5% |
| 2024 | 32.28 | +0.6% |
| 2025 | 32.39 | +0.3% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 32.39 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 5.63, 5.7× the median. (53 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 32.39 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 5.45, 5.9× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 22.93 | 22.5 | 23.46 | 9 |
| 2000s | 22.62 | 22.26 | 23.52 | 10 |
| 2010s | 25.76 | 24.56 | 28.47 | 10 |
| 2020s | 32.21 | 29.22 | 34.01 | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
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 unemployment rate in South Africa?
- Unemployment rate in South Africa was 32.39 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest unemployment rate recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 34.01 in 2021.
- What is the lowest unemployment rate recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 22.26 in 2007.
- How does South Africa rank for unemployment rate?
- South Africa ranks 2nd out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is unemployment rate rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 28.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Unemployment rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).