South Africa — Unemployment
Unemployment Rate for South Africa, 1991–2025.
Unemployment for South Africa was 32.39% in 2025, according to the latest World Bank data. The series covers 35 years, from 1991 to 2025. The highest recorded value was 34.01% in 2021. The lowest was 22.26% in 2007 (about 1.5× the low point). Across that span the compound annual growth rate works out to 0.99% per year.
South Africa ranks 2 of 187 economies on this measure (1 = highest), putting it in the top 1%. The median for Sub-Saharan Africa is 5.45%, so South Africa sits above it. It peaked in 2021 and has fallen 5% since. Over the last decade (2015–2025) the figure moved up 29%. Within Sub-Saharan Africa it ranks 2 of 47 economies; Botswana (24.48%) is just below it. Its sharpest one-year move was up 16% in 2021. That is 9% above this series' own ten-year average.
Data highlights
Doubling roughly every 70 years at that pace.
World ranking. Climbed: 4th of 187 in 1991 → 7th of 187 in 2000 → 5th of 187 in 2010 → 2nd of 187 in 2020 → 2nd of 182 in 2025.
Key figures
Full history — 1991 to 2025
| Year | % of total labor force | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 32.39% | +0.1 pp |
| 2024 | 32.28% | +0.2 pp |
| 2023 | 32.1% | -1.2 pp |
| 2022 | 33.27% | -0.7 pp |
| 2021 | 34.01% | +4.8 pp |
| 2020 | 29.22% | +0.7 pp |
| 2019 | 28.47% | +1.6 pp |
| 2018 | 26.91% | -0.1 pp |
| 2017 | 27.04% | +0.5 pp |
| 2016 | 26.54% | +1.4 pp |
| 2015 | 25.15% | +0.3 pp |
| 2014 | 24.89% | +0.3 pp |
| 2013 | 24.56% | -0.2 pp |
| 2012 | 24.73% | +0.1 pp |
| 2011 | 24.64% | -0.0 pp |
| 2010 | 24.68% | +1.2 pp |
| 2009 | 23.52% | +1.1 pp |
| 2008 | 22.41% | +0.1 pp |
| 2007 | 22.26% | -0.0 pp |
| 2006 | 22.3% | -0.2 pp |
| 2005 | 22.47% | -0.1 pp |
| 2004 | 22.57% | -0.1 pp |
| 2003 | 22.68% | +0.1 pp |
| 2002 | 22.58% | -0.1 pp |
| 2001 | 22.65% | -0.1 pp |
| 2000 | 22.79% | -0.1 pp |
| 1999 | 22.88% | +0.1 pp |
| 1998 | 22.74% | +0.2 pp |
| 1997 | 22.55% | +0.0 pp |
| 1996 | 22.5% | -0.2 pp |
| 1995 | 22.71% | -0.4 pp |
| 1994 | 23.07% | -0.3 pp |
| 1993 | 23.36% | -0.1 pp |
| 1992 | 23.46% | +0.3 pp |
| 1991 | 23.14% | — |
Frequently asked questions
What was South Africa’s Unemployment in 1992?
23.46% (1992). 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 total labor force, so year-over-year movements in the Change column are percentage points (pp), not percent.
Is South Africa’s Unemployment growing or shrinking?
Between 1991 and 2025 the series was growing overall: +40.0% in total — about 1.0% a year compounded.
Where does this data come from?
World Bank Open Data (CC BY-4.0), indicator SL.UEM.TOTL.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: 32.39%; 2024: 32.28%; 2023: 32.1%; 2022: 33.27%; 2021: 34.01%. Earlier years are in the full-history table below.
Related data
SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS — Unemployment 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.