The latest plotted observation compared with the one immediately before it.
Jobs · official observation
South Africa unemployment
The latest available value was 32.4% in 2025. Compared with 2024, the latest value changed by +0.1 pts.
Latest availableWorld Bank sourceNo forecast values
Latest available value32.4%
South Africa · 2025
Change from 2024+0.1 pts
One period comparison, not annualized
Data statusLatest available
Source identifies this concept as estimated
Historical observationsSouth Africa Unemployment
32.4%2025
Explain this chart
Economic demand, Industry mix, Labor force participation
This modeled estimate improves comparability but can differ from a country’s headline national measure.
View accessible data table
| Period | Value | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 32.4% | observed |
| 2024 | 32.3% | observed |
| 2023 | 32.1% | observed |
| 2022 | 33.3% | observed |
| 2021 | 34% | observed |
| 2020 | 29.2% | observed |
| 2019 | 28.5% | observed |
| 2018 | 26.9% | observed |
| 2017 | 27% | observed |
| 2016 | 26.5% | observed |
What this number measures
The share of the labor force without work, available for work, and actively seeking work, using a modeled ILO estimate.
Why people watch it
It signals how readily people can find work, but it excludes people who are not counted in the labor force.
- 01Economic demand
- 02Industry mix
- 03Labor force participation
- 04Policy
These are common mechanisms, not claims about what caused the latest movement in South Africa.
Limits of this comparison
This modeled estimate improves comparability but can differ from a country’s headline national measure.
Annual observations can refer to different release schedules. Recent values can also be revised by the source.
Source record
World Bank World Development Indicators
Series SL.UEM.TOTL.ZS. Retrieved August 5, 2026. Values remain attributable to the original source.