Labor force, total, per capita in South Africa
South Africa: Labor force, total, per capita was 0.4129 units per person in 2025. ▲ Rising
Labor force, total, per capita in South Africa, 1990–2025
Source: Statizoid (derived). Measured in units per person.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 0.4129 units per person for labor force, total, per capita in 2025. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 5.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force, total, per capita in South Africa peaked at 0.4129 units per person in 2025 and was at its lowest, 0.3617 units per person, in 1990.
That places South Africa 125th out of 186 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Labor force, total, per capita in South Africa, year by year
| Year | units per person | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 0.3617 units per person | — |
| 1991 | 0.3626 units per person | +0.2% |
| 1992 | 0.3624 units per person | -0.0% |
| 1993 | 0.3636 units per person | +0.3% |
| 1994 | 0.3639 units per person | +0.1% |
| 1995 | 0.3627 units per person | -0.3% |
| 1996 | 0.3625 units per person | -0.0% |
| 1997 | 0.3637 units per person | +0.3% |
| 1998 | 0.3665 units per person | +0.8% |
| 1999 | 0.3696 units per person | +0.8% |
| 2000 | 0.3728 units per person | +0.9% |
| 2001 | 0.376 units per person | +0.9% |
| 2002 | 0.3793 units per person | +0.9% |
| 2003 | 0.3823 units per person | +0.8% |
| 2004 | 0.3849 units per person | +0.7% |
| 2005 | 0.3869 units per person | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 0.3885 units per person | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 0.3899 units per person | +0.4% |
| 2008 | 0.391 units per person | +0.3% |
| 2009 | 0.3794 units per person | -3.0% |
| 2010 | 0.369 units per person | -2.8% |
| 2011 | 0.3698 units per person | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 0.3733 units per person | +1.0% |
| 2013 | 0.3785 units per person | +1.4% |
| 2014 | 0.3812 units per person | +0.7% |
| 2015 | 0.3914 units per person | +2.7% |
| 2016 | 0.3922 units per person | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 0.3971 units per person | +1.3% |
| 2018 | 0.398 units per person | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 0.4011 units per person | +0.8% |
| 2020 | 0.369 units per person | -8.0% |
| 2021 | 0.3818 units per person | +3.5% |
| 2022 | 0.3942 units per person | +3.2% |
| 2023 | 0.4067 units per person | +3.2% |
| 2024 | 0.4119 units per person | +1.3% |
| 2025 | 0.4129 units per person | +0.2% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 0.4129 units per person is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.4696 units per person, 88% of the median. (53 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 0.4129 units per person is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.3995 units per person, 1.0× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.3639 units per person | 0.3617 units per person | 0.3696 units per person | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.3831 units per person | 0.3728 units per person | 0.391 units per person | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.3851 units per person | 0.369 units per person | 0.4011 units per person | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.3961 units per person | 0.369 units per person | 0.4129 units per person | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More education data for South Africa
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 181,739 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 339,638 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 410,708 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 407,696 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 5.50 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 7.52 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -1.44 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.119 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force, total, per capita in South Africa?
- Labor force, total, per capita in South Africa was 0.4129 units per person in 2025, according to Statizoid (derived).
- What is the highest labor force, total, per capita recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 0.4129 units per person in 2025.
- What is the lowest labor force, total, per capita recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.3617 units per person in 1990.
- How does South Africa rank for labor force, total, per capita?
- South Africa ranks 125th out of 186 countries with data for 2025.
- Is labor force, total, per capita rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Statizoid (derived), published as part of Labor force, total, per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under Derived by Statizoid from the sources named on the page.
How this figure is calculated
Labor force, total divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.
Labor force, total ÷ Population, total
Computed from
- Labor force, total International Labour Organization (ILO), type: estimates based on external database
- Population, total World Population Prospects, United Nations (UN)
Statizoid computes this series; the underlying measurements belong to the publishers named above. The arithmetic is applied to every country and year where both inputs report, and nothing is estimated unless the page says so.
About this data
Labor force, total divided by Population, total, matched on country and year. Neither publisher issues this ratio as a series; it is computed here from both.