Unemployment with basic education, male in South Africa
South Africa: Unemployment with basic education, male was 36.7% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Unemployment with basic education, male in South Africa, 2000–2024
Source: Education and Mismatch Indicators database (EMI), International Labour Organization (ILO). Measured in % of male labor force with basic education.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 36.7% for unemployment with basic education, male in 2024.
That represents a change of down 0.4% on the previous year and up 27.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, unemployment with basic education, male in South Africa peaked at 38.6% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 24.7%, in 2008.
That places South Africa 1st out of 130 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.
Unemployment with basic education, male in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % of male labor force with basic education | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 28.7% | — |
| 2001 | 29.3% | +2.3% |
| 2002 | 31.8% | +8.3% |
| 2003 | 31.2% | -1.9% |
| 2004 | 28.0% | -10.0% |
| 2005 | 27.4% | -2.2% |
| 2006 | 26.4% | -3.6% |
| 2007 | 25.8% | -2.2% |
| 2008 | 24.7% | -4.6% |
| 2009 | 27.3% | +10.9% |
| 2010 | 28.5% | +4.3% |
| 2011 | 28.1% | -1.5% |
| 2013 | 29.1% | +3.7% |
| 2014 | 28.8% | -1.3% |
| 2015 | 28.7% | -0.2% |
| 2016 | 30.1% | +4.9% |
| 2017 | 31.5% | +4.6% |
| 2018 | 30.9% | -1.9% |
| 2019 | 33.1% | +7.1% |
| 2020 | 34.1% | +2.9% |
| 2021 | 38.6% | +13.5% |
| 2022 | 38.1% | -1.5% |
| 2023 | 36.9% | -3.2% |
| 2024 | 36.7% | -0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 28.1% | 24.7% | 31.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 29.9% | 28.1% | 33.1% | 9 |
| 2020s | 36.9% | 34.1% | 38.6% | 5 |
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 with basic education, male in South Africa?
- Unemployment with basic education, male in South Africa was 36.7% in 2024, according to Education and Mismatch Indicators database (EMI), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest unemployment with basic education, male recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 38.6% in 2021.
- What is the lowest unemployment with basic education, male recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 24.7% in 2008.
- How does South Africa rank for unemployment with basic education, male?
- South Africa ranks 1st out of 130 countries with data for 2024.
- Is unemployment with basic education, male rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 27.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Education and Mismatch Indicators database (EMI), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Unemployment with basic education, male (% of male labor force with basic education). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
The percentage of the labor force with a basic level of education who are unemployed. Basic education comprises primary education or lower secondary education according to the International Standard Classification of Education 2011 (ISCED 2011).