Home → South Africa → Employment → Youth Unemployment → Highest

South Africa Highest Youth Unemployment

Name: South Africa Youth Unemployment
Creator: World Bank
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

65.45% in 2021

Youth unemployment (ages 15-24) · World Bank

The highest youth unemployment in South Africa was 65.45% in 2021. The top 5 years were: 2021 (65.45%), 2022 (61.68%), 2023 (60.26%), 2024 (60.25%), 2025 (59.93%).

Top 5 Highest Years▾

South Africa Top 5 Highest Youth Unemployment Years
Rank	Year	Value
1st	2021	65.45%
2nd	2022	61.68%
3rd	2023	60.26%
4th	2024	60.25%
5th	2025	59.93%

All Data (sorted by value)▾

Year	Value	Change	Rank
2021	65.45%	+5.84pp	185th
2022	61.68%	−3.77pp	184th
2025	59.93%	−0.32pp	180th
2024	60.25%	−0.01pp	180th
2023	60.26%	−1.42pp	182nd
2020	59.61%	+2.29pp	185th
2019	57.32%	+3.68pp	185th
2018	53.63%	+0.24pp	185th
2017	53.40%	−0.06pp	185th
2016	53.45%	+3.34pp	184th
2014	51.19%	−0.01pp	181st
2013	51.21%	−0.12pp	181st
2012	51.32%	+1.58pp	180th
2015	50.12%	−1.08pp	183rd
2011	49.75%	−0.71pp	180th
2010	50.45%	+2.98pp	182nd
2009	47.47%	+2.90pp	181st
2008	44.58%	+0.53pp	181st
2007	44.04%	+0.18pp	181st
2006	43.87%	−0.06pp	179th
2005	43.93%	+0.07pp	179th
2004	43.86%	+0.07pp	180th
2003	43.80%	+0.45pp	178th
2002	43.35%	+0.14pp	178th
1993	44.32%	+0.26pp	182nd
2001	43.21%	+0.02pp	178th
2000	43.19%	+0.08pp	178th
1999	43.11%	+0.47pp	178th
1994	43.89%	−0.43pp	179th
1992	44.07%	+0.57pp	181st
1998	42.64%	+0.54pp	177th
1997	42.09%	−0.05pp	178th
1996	42.14%	−0.67pp	176th
1995	42.81%	−1.08pp	180th
1991	43.49%	–	182nd

Show all

Youth Unemployment (all years) Lowest ever Average Youth Unemployment 1990s Youth Unemployment 2000s Youth Unemployment 2010s Youth Unemployment 2020s Unemployment Rate Labor Force Participation Female Labor Participation Agriculture Employment Industry Employment vs Paraguay vs Fiji vs Suriname vs Guatemala Global Ranking