ILOSTAT - Labour force survey — Employment-to-population ratio by in South Africa

South Africa: ILOSTAT - Labour force survey — Employment-to-population ratio by was 33.85 % in 2024. ▬ Flat

Latest (2024)
33.85 %
Change on year
up 4.8%
World rank
79th
of 79 countries
All-time high
35.77 %
in 2008
All-time low
30.04 %
in 2022
Years of data
17
2008–2024

ILOSTAT - Labour force survey — Employment-to-population ratio by in South Africa, 2008–2024

0102030402008201620242008: 35.8 %2009: 33.5 %2010: 31.1 %2011: 30.4 %2012: 31.2 %2013: 32.8 %2014: 32.9 %2015: 35.7 %2016: 35.7 %2017: 34.4 %2018: 34.3 %2019: 33.7 %2020: 31.4 %2021: 30.1 %2022: 30 %2023: 32.3 %2024: 33.9 %

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2024, ilostat - labour force survey — employment-to-population ratio by in South Africa stood at 33.85 %.

That represents a change of up 4.8% on the previous year and up 2.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, ilostat - labour force survey — employment-to-population ratio by in South Africa peaked at 35.77 % in 2008 and was at its lowest, 30.04 %, in 2022.

South Africa ranks 79th of 79 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

ILOSTAT - Labour force survey — Employment-to-population ratio by in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for ILOSTAT - Labour force survey — Employment-to-population ratio by age, total (15+), rural areas — Male — Value in South Africa, 2008 to 2024.
Year % Change
2008 35.77 %
2009 33.47 % -6.4%
2010 31.13 % -7.0%
2011 30.38 % -2.4%
2012 31.22 % +2.8%
2013 32.78 % +5.0%
2014 32.89 % +0.3%
2015 35.67 % +8.5%
2016 35.74 % +0.2%
2017 34.37 % -3.8%
2018 34.26 % -0.3%
2019 33.69 % -1.7%
2020 31.36 % -6.9%
2021 30.11 % -4.0%
2022 30.04 % -0.2%
2023 32.29 % +7.5%
2024 33.85 % +4.8%

South Africa compared with similar countries

  • South Africa's 33.85 % is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 73.88 %, 46% of the median. (22 countries reporting)
  • South Africa's 33.85 % is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 63.09 %, 54% of the median. (8 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 34.62 % 33.47 % 35.77 % 2
2010s 33.21 % 30.38 % 35.74 % 10
2020s 31.53 % 30.04 % 33.85 % 5

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 76 Bulgaria 51.22 % compare
  2. 77 Jordan 48.59 % compare
  3. 78 Namibia 45.01 % compare

See the full ranking of 86 places →

More economy & growth data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is ilostat - labour force survey — employment-to-population ratio by in South Africa?
Ilostat - labour force survey — employment-to-population ratio by in South Africa was 33.85 % in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
What is the highest ilostat - labour force survey — employment-to-population ratio by recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 35.77 % in 2008.
What is the lowest ilostat - labour force survey — employment-to-population ratio by recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 30.04 % in 2022.
How does South Africa rank for ilostat - labour force survey — employment-to-population ratio by?
South Africa ranks 79th out of 79 countries with data for 2024.
Is ilostat - labour force survey — employment-to-population ratio by rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 2.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of ILOSTAT - Labour force survey — Employment-to-population ratio by age, total (15+), rural areas — Male — Value. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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ILOSTAT - Labour force survey — Employment-to-population ratio by in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Retrieved 17 September 2026, from https://economy.statizoid.com/stat/ilostat-labour-force-survey-employment-to-population-ratio-by-age-total-15-rural-areas-2/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
ILOSTAT - Labour force survey — Employment-to-population ratio by age, total (15+), rural areas — Male — Value
Unit
%
Source
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Licence
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO)
Coverage
86 places, 1,543 data points, 1987–2025
Last refreshed

The FAOSTAT Employment indicators domain focuses on indicators related to employment in agrifood systems and rural areas. The update is performed yearly, using data from the International Labour Organization (ILO) database that contains a rich set of indicators from a wide range of topics related to labour statistics. The indicators published in FAOSTAT are derived from the labour force statistics (LFS) and rural and urban labour markets (RURURB) databases of the ILOSTAT database.