Least developed countries: UN classification vs South Africa: Labor force, total

Least developed countries: UN classification
450.68 million
in 2025
South Africa
26.73 million
in 2025
Least developed countries: UN classification rank
22nd
South Africa rank
26th

Labor force, total over time

  • Least developed countries: UN classification
  • South Africa
0100.0M200.0M300.0M400.0M500.0M199020072025

How they compare

Least developed countries: UN classification currently reports 450.68 million against 26.73 million in South Africa, a difference of 423.95 million.

That makes Least developed countries: UN classification's figure about 16.9 times South Africa's.

Across all 36 years both countries report, Least developed countries: UN classification has been ahead every year.

Least developed countries: UN classification ranks 22nd and South Africa ranks 26th of 46 groups.

Least developed countries: UN classification has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Least developed countries: UN classification South Africa Difference Ahead
1990s 218.79 million 16.03 million 202.75 million Least developed countries: UN classification
2000s 286.15 million 18.90 million 267.25 million Least developed countries: UN classification
2010s 362.85 million 21.56 million 341.29 million Least developed countries: UN classification
2020s 431.62 million 24.87 million 406.75 million Least developed countries: UN classification

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher labor force, total, Least developed countries: UN classification or South Africa?
Least developed countries: UN classification, at 450.68 million against 26.73 million in South Africa as of 2025.
What is the difference in labor force, total between Least developed countries: UN classification and South Africa?
423.95 million, with Least developed countries: UN classification ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Least developed countries: UN classification and South Africa?
36 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2025.
How do Least developed countries: UN classification and South Africa rank globally for labor force, total?
Least developed countries: UN classification ranks 22nd and South Africa ranks 26th of 46 groups.
Where does this data come from?
International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database, published as Labor force, total. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Least developed countries: UN classification vs South Africa: Labor force, total. Statizoid, drawing on International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database. Retrieved 17 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/compare/labor-force-total/least-developed-countries-un-classification/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Labor force, total
Source
International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
234 places, 8,410 data points, 1990–2025
Last refreshed

Labor force comprises people ages 15 and older who supply labor for the production of goods and services during a specified period. It includes people who are currently employed and people who are unemployed but seeking work as well as first-time job-seekers. Not everyone who works is included, however. Unpaid workers, family workers, and students are often omitted, and some countries do not count members of the armed forces. Labor force size tends to vary during the year as seasonal workers enter and leave.