South Africa — Labor participation
Labor Force Participation Rate for South Africa, 1990–2025.
Labor participation for South Africa was 55.58% in 2025, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 36 years, from 1990 to 2025. The highest recorded value was 58.09% in 1990. The lowest was 50.55% in 2020 (about 1.1× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to -0.13% per year.
South Africa ranks 137 of 187 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 73%. The median for Sub-Saharan Africa is 64.31%, so South Africa sits below it. It peaked in 1990 and has fallen 4% since. Over the last decade (2015–2025) the figure moved up 2%. Within Sub-Saharan Africa it ranks 37 of 47 economies; Sierra Leone (53.37%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was down 9% in 2020. That is 2% above this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
World ranking. Slipped: 120th of 187 in 1990 → 128th of 187 in 2000 → 149th of 187 in 2010 → 154th of 187 in 2020 → 136th of 182 in 2025.
Key figures
Full history — 1990 to 2025
| Year | % of population ages 15+ | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 55.58% | +0.0 pp |
| 2024 | 55.57% | +0.5 pp |
| 2023 | 55.02% | +1.5 pp |
| 2022 | 53.5% | +1.5 pp |
| 2021 | 52.02% | +1.5 pp |
| 2020 | 50.55% | -4.7 pp |
| 2019 | 55.27% | +0.1 pp |
| 2018 | 55.16% | -0.2 pp |
| 2017 | 55.36% | +0.6 pp |
| 2016 | 54.71% | +0.1 pp |
| 2015 | 54.59% | +1.3 pp |
| 2014 | 53.31% | +0.2 pp |
| 2013 | 53.08% | +0.6 pp |
| 2012 | 52.51% | +0.3 pp |
| 2011 | 52.17% | -0.1 pp |
| 2010 | 52.27% | -1.7 pp |
| 2009 | 53.96% | -1.8 pp |
| 2008 | 55.79% | -0.1 pp |
| 2007 | 55.88% | -0.1 pp |
| 2006 | 55.99% | -0.1 pp |
| 2005 | 56.13% | -0.2 pp |
| 2004 | 56.3% | -0.2 pp |
| 2003 | 56.5% | -0.2 pp |
| 2002 | 56.75% | -0.3 pp |
| 2001 | 57.01% | -0.3 pp |
| 2000 | 57.26% | -0.2 pp |
| 1999 | 57.51% | -0.2 pp |
| 1998 | 57.74% | -0.2 pp |
| 1997 | 57.95% | -0.1 pp |
| 1996 | 58.04% | +0.0 pp |
| 1995 | 58.02% | +0.1 pp |
| 1994 | 57.94% | -0.0 pp |
| 1993 | 57.96% | -0.1 pp |
| 1992 | 58.05% | +0.0 pp |
| 1991 | 58.03% | -0.1 pp |
| 1990 | 58.1% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was South Africa’s Labor participation in 1991?
58.03% (1991). The full year-by-year table above lists every published year, most recent first.
Are changes in this series measured in percentage points?
Yes. The series is a share expressed in % of population ages 15+, so year-over-year movements in the Change column are percentage points (pp), not percent.
Is South Africa’s Labor participation growing or shrinking?
Between 1990 and 2025 the series was shrinking overall: -4.3% in total — about 0.1% a year compounded.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator SL.TLF.CACT.ZS. Values are reproduced as published; this page only computes summary statistics such as change, CAGR and extremes.
What are the most recent published figures?
The last five published years: 2025: 55.58%; 2024: 55.57%; 2023: 55.02%; 2022: 53.5%; 2021: 52.02%. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
SL.TLF.CACT.ZS — Labor Force Participation Rate. Data licensed under CC BY 4.0. Values are reproduced as published; this page computes the summary statistics (change, CAGR, extremes) from the underlying annual series. View the original dataset on data.worldbank.org.