Vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) in South Africa
South Africa: Vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) was 11.7% in 2025. ▼ Falling
Vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) in South Africa, 1991–2025
Source: ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
Analysis
In 2025, vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) in South Africa stood at 11.7%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.3% on the previous year and up 23.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) in South Africa peaked at 11.9% in 1992 and was at its lowest, 8.8%, in 2014.
That places South Africa 142nd out of 187 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 11.9% | — |
| 1992 | 11.9% | +0.3% |
| 1993 | 11.9% | -0.0% |
| 1994 | 11.8% | -0.5% |
| 1995 | 11.8% | -0.8% |
| 1996 | 11.6% | -1.3% |
| 1997 | 11.4% | -1.4% |
| 1998 | 11.3% | -1.6% |
| 1999 | 11.1% | -1.8% |
| 2000 | 10.9% | -1.9% |
| 2001 | 11.2% | +3.0% |
| 2002 | 11.1% | -1.0% |
| 2003 | 10.9% | -1.3% |
| 2004 | 10.7% | -2.2% |
| 2005 | 11.5% | +7.5% |
| 2006 | 11.4% | -0.8% |
| 2007 | 10.4% | -8.8% |
| 2008 | 10.2% | -1.9% |
| 2009 | 10.1% | -1.1% |
| 2010 | 10.2% | +0.7% |
| 2011 | 10.1% | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 10.1% | -0.5% |
| 2013 | 9.5% | -5.6% |
| 2014 | 8.8% | -7.4% |
| 2015 | 9.4% | +6.8% |
| 2016 | 9.6% | +1.7% |
| 2017 | 9.9% | +3.5% |
| 2018 | 10.3% | +4.1% |
| 2019 | 10.7% | +3.3% |
| 2020 | 10.7% | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 11.0% | +3.4% |
| 2022 | 11.3% | +2.0% |
| 2023 | 10.9% | -3.1% |
| 2024 | 11.7% | +7.2% |
| 2025 | 11.7% | -0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 11.6% | 11.1% | 11.9% | 9 |
| 2000s | 10.8% | 10.1% | 11.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.9% | 8.8% | 10.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 11.2% | 10.7% | 11.7% | 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 vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) in South Africa?
- Vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) in South Africa was 11.7% in 2025, according to ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 11.9% in 1992.
- What is the lowest vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.8% in 2014.
- How does South Africa rank for vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment)?
- South Africa ranks 142nd out of 187 countries with data for 2025.
- Is vulnerable employment, total (% of total 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 ILO Modelled Estimates database (ILOEST), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Vulnerable employment, total (% of total employment) (modeled ILO estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Vulnerable employment is contributing family workers and own-account workers as a percentage of total employment.