South Africa Unemployment Rate
Unemployment as % of total labor force SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS
Overview
South Africa's unemployment rate stood at 32.39% in 2025, a decline of +0.21pp from 2024. The IMF projects 32.71% by 2025. South Africa ranked 180th globally.
Data & projection
| Year | Unemployment Rate | YoY change | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2030* IMF | 32.19% | - | - |
| 2029* IMF | 32.44% | - | - |
| 2028* IMF | 32.53% | - | - |
| 2027* IMF | 32.60% | - | - |
| 2026* IMF | 32.68% | - | - |
| 2025* IMF | 32.71% | - | - |
| 2025 | 32.39% | −0.21pp | #180 |
| 2024 | 32.28% | −0.10pp | #186 |
| 2023 | 32.10% | −1.40pp | #188 |
| 2022 | 33.27% | −1.03pp | #190 |
| 2021 | 34.01% | +4.83pp | #190 |
| 2020 | 29.22% | +0.52pp | #190 |
| 2019 | 28.47% | +1.34pp | #191 |
| 2018 | 26.91% | −0.54pp | #191 |
| 2017 | 27.04% | +0.31pp | #191 |
| 2016 | 26.54% | +1.19pp | #191 |
| 2015 | 25.15% | +0.05pp | #188 |
| 2014 | 24.89% | +0.16pp | #187 |
| 2013 | 24.56% | −0.31pp | #186 |
| 2012 | 24.73% | −0.07pp | #185 |
| 2011 | 24.64% | −0.24pp | #187 |
Detected Pattern
Analysis
South Africa matched the Export Boom Cycle pattern in 1994. Historically, 71% of countries showing this pattern (546 out of 768) saw unemployment rate improve within 24 months. View full analysis →
Frequently Asked Questions
South Africa's unemployment rate was 32.39% in 2025. Ranked 180th globally. This represents a 0.6% decrease from the previous year.
South Africa's unemployment rate peaked at 34.01% in 2021.
The lowest unemployment rate in South Africa was 9.24% in 1980.
South Africa ranks 180th globally in unemployment rate as of 2025.
The World Bank indicator code is SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS. Data sourced from World Bank.
South Africa's unemployment rate is projected to reach 32.71% by 2025 based on IMF projection.
The unemployment rate of South Africa in 2025 was 32.39%. This ranks 180th in the world.
Cite this page
@misc{historysaid_south-africa_unemployment-rate,
title = {South Africa Unemployment Rate},
url = {https://historysaid.com/south-africa/unemployment-rate},
publisher = {HistorySaid},
year = {2026}
}