Youth Unemployment Rate in South Africa decreased to 58.50 percent in the third quarter of 2025 from 62.20 percent in the second quarter of 2025. This dataset provides - South Africa Youth Unemployment Rate- actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

The youth unemployment rate in South Africa amounted to 60.89 percent in 2024. Between 1991 and 2024, the youth unemployment rate rose by 18.22 percentage points, though the increase followed an uneven trajectory rather than a consistent upward trend.

Unemployment Rate in South Africa decreased to 31.90 percent in the third quarter of 2025 from 33.20 percent in the second quarter of 2025. This dataset provides - South Africa Unemployment Rate - actual values, historical data, forecast, chart, statistics, economic calendar and news.

The youth unemployment rate of South Africa was over ** percent in 2024, the highest of any G20 country. Italy followed with a youth unemployment rate of **** percent. In contrast, Japan's youth unemployment rate was the lowest at only 3*** percent. Economic crisis in Argentina At ***** percent, youth unemployment in Argentina falls third out of the G20 nations. The Argentinian economy was hit by a recession beginning in 2022, with an average inflation rate of nearly ** percent that year, jumping to over *** percent in 2023. Such staggering inflation has hit Argentinian consumers hard, with the average consumer price index going from nearly *** in 2021 to ***** in 2022, before increasing to nearly ***** in 2023. While youth unemployment has fallen in Argentina since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, factors such as skyrocketing inflation make getting by difficult for many. Inequality in South Africa With a youth unemployment rate of just over 6* percent, South Africa stands out from the rest of the G20 nations. Thirty years after the end of Apartheid, South Africa is considered one the most unequal country in the world. Using the Gini Index, which measures income inequality with zero representing totally equal distribution and one representing unequal distribution, South Africa has a score of ****, higher than any other nation. Poverty and inequality are a major concern for South Africans, with over ** percent of survey respondents expressing worry over the issue in January 2024, a slight decrease from a recent peak of ** percent in August 2023.

In the fourth quarter of 2024, the unemployment rate in South Africa was 27.2 percent among workers aged 35 to 44 years. The figure decreased from 27.7 percent in the same quarter of the previous year. This age group corresponded to the largest share of the labor force participation in the country. Among young South Africans (15 to 24 years), the unemployment rate was at its highest, at 59.6 percent.

Historical dataset showing South Africa youth unemployment rate by year from 1991 to 2024.

Graph and download economic data for Youth Unemployment Rate for South Africa (SLUEM1524ZSZAF) from 1991 to 2024 about South Africa, 15 to 24 years, unemployment, and rate.

south africa - Youth Unemployment Rate for South Africa was 60.89% in January of 2024, according to the United States Federal Reserve. Historically, south africa - Youth Unemployment Rate for South Africa reached a record high of 64.65 in January of 2021 and a record low of 58.59 in January of 2020. Trading Economics provides the current actual value, an historical data chart and related indicators for south africa - Youth Unemployment Rate for South Africa - last updated from the United States Federal Reserve on October of 2025.

In 2024, around **** percent of the African youth, those aged between 15 and 24 years old, were expected to be unemployed. According to data from the International Labor Organization, this figure has remained stable since 2021. The rate of unemployment among youths in the continent has fluctuated in the period under review, overall slightly dropping in comparison to the share in 2012, the lowest in the period reviewed.

View yearly updates and historical trends for South Africa Youth Unemployment Rate. Source: World Bank. Track economic data with YCharts analytics.

Djibouti registered the highest youth unemployment rate in Africa in 2022. That year, over ** percent of the labor force aged 15 to 24 years was unemployed in the country. Unemployment among youth was also particularly high in South Africa, Eswatini, and Libya which respectively registered an unemployment rate of around ****, ****, and **** percent. In contrast, the lowest youth unemployment levels on the continent were in Niger and Chad.

South Africa ZA: Unemployment: National Estimate: Youth: % of Total Labour Force Aged 15-24 data was reported at 53.527 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 53.371 % for 2016. South Africa ZA: Unemployment: National Estimate: Youth: % of Total Labour Force Aged 15-24 data is updated yearly, averaging 53.052 % from Dec 2000 (Median) to 2017, with 18 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 61.437 % in 2003 and a record low of 45.607 % in 2008. South Africa ZA: Unemployment: National Estimate: Youth: % of Total Labour Force Aged 15-24 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s South Africa – Table ZA.World Bank.WDI: Employment and Unemployment. Youth unemployment refers to the share of the labor force ages 15-24 without work but available for and seeking employment. Definitions of labor force and unemployment differ by country.; ; International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT database. Data retrieved in September 2018.; Weighted average; The series for ILO estimates is also available in the WDI database. Caution should be used when comparing ILO estimates with national estimates.

Actual value and historical data chart for South Africa Unemployment Youth Total Percent Of Total Labor Force Ages 15 24

In the second quarter of 2024, the unemployment rate among Black South Africans was 36.9 percent, marking a year-on-year change of 0.8 percent compared to the second quarter of 2023. On the other hand, the unemployment rate among white South Africans was 7.9 percent in the second quarter of 2024, with a 0.5 percent year-on-year change. Unemployment prevalent among youth and women The unemployment rate is the share of the labor force population that is unemployed, while the labor force includes individuals who are employed as well as those who are unemployed but looking for work. South Africa is struggling to absorb its youth into the job market. For instance, the unemployment rate among young South Africans aged 15-24 years reached a staggering 60.7 percent in the second quarter of 2023. Furthermore, women had higher unemployment rates than men. Since the start of 2016, the unemployment rate of women has been consistently more than that of men, reaching close to 36 percent compared to 30 percent, respectively. A new minimum wage and most paying jobs      In South Africa, a new minimum hourly wage went into effect on March 1, 2022. The minimum salary reached 23.19 South African rand per hour (1.44 U.S. dollars per hour), up from 21.69 South African rand per hour (1.35 U.S. dollars per hour) in 2021. In addition, the preponderance of employed South Africans worked between 40 and 45 hours weekly in 2021. Individuals holding Executive Management and Change Management jobs were the highest paid in the country, with salaries averaging 74,000 U.S. dollars per year.

Actual value and historical data chart for South Africa Unemployment Youth Female Percent Of Female Labor Force Ages 15 24 National Estimate

South Africa ZA: Unemployment: Modeled ILO Estimate: Youth: % of Total Labour Force Aged 15-24 data was reported at 57.421 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 53.360 % for 2016. South Africa ZA: Unemployment: Modeled ILO Estimate: Youth: % of Total Labour Force Aged 15-24 data is updated yearly, averaging 50.280 % from Dec 1991 (Median) to 2017, with 27 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 57.421 % in 2017 and a record low of 34.350 % in 1995. South Africa ZA: Unemployment: Modeled ILO Estimate: Youth: % of Total Labour Force Aged 15-24 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s South Africa – Table ZA.World Bank: Employment and Unemployment. Youth unemployment refers to the share of the labor force ages 15-24 without work but available for and seeking employment.; ; International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT database. Data retrieved in November 2017.; Weighted average; Data up to 2016 are estimates while data from 2017 are projections. National estimates are also available in the WDI database. Caution should be used when comparing ILO estimates with national estimates.

ZA: Unemployment: National Estimate: Youth Female: % of Female Labour Force Aged 15-24 data was reported at 58.650 % in 2017. This records a decrease from the previous number of 59.310 % for 2016. ZA: Unemployment: National Estimate: Youth Female: % of Female Labour Force Aged 15-24 data is updated yearly, averaging 55.175 % from Dec 2008 (Median) to 2017, with 10 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 59.310 % in 2016 and a record low of 50.310 % in 2008. ZA: Unemployment: National Estimate: Youth Female: % of Female Labour Force Aged 15-24 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s South Africa – Table ZA.World Bank: Employment and Unemployment. Youth unemployment refers to the share of the labor force ages 15-24 without work but available for and seeking employment. Definitions of labor force and unemployment differ by country.; ; International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT database. Data retrieved in November 2017.; Weighted Average; The series for ILO estimates is also available in the WDI database. Caution should be used when comparing ILO estimates with national estimates.

South Africa ZA: Unemployment: National Estimate: Youth Male: % of Male Labour Force Aged 15-24 data was reported at 49.310 % in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 48.620 % for 2016. South Africa ZA: Unemployment: National Estimate: Youth Male: % of Male Labour Force Aged 15-24 data is updated yearly, averaging 47.810 % from Dec 2008 (Median) to 2017, with 10 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 49.310 % in 2017 and a record low of 41.720 % in 2008. South Africa ZA: Unemployment: National Estimate: Youth Male: % of Male Labour Force Aged 15-24 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s South Africa – Table ZA.World Bank: Employment and Unemployment. Youth unemployment refers to the share of the labor force ages 15-24 without work but available for and seeking employment. Definitions of labor force and unemployment differ by country.; ; International Labour Organization, ILOSTAT database. Data retrieved in November 2017.; Weighted Average; The series for ILO estimates is also available in the WDI database. Caution should be used when comparing ILO estimates with national estimates.

The average for 2023 based on 45 countries was 14.52 percent. The highest value was in South Africa: 59.72 percent and the lowest value was in Niger: 0.42 percent. The indicator is available from 1991 to 2024. Below is a chart for all countries where data are available.

South Africa is expected to register the highest unemployment rate in Africa in 2024, with around ** percent of the country's labor force being unemployed. Djibouti and Eswatini followed, with unemployment reaching roughly ** percent and ** percent, respectively. On the other hand, the lowest unemployment rates in Africa were in Niger and Burundi. The continent’s average stood at roughly ***** percent in the same year. Large shares of youth among the unemployed Due to several educational, socio-demographic, and economic factors, the young population is more likely to face unemployment in most regions of the world. In 2024, the youth unemployment rate in Africa was projected at around ** percent. The situation was particularly critical in certain countries. In 2022, Djibouti recorded a youth unemployment rate of almost ** percent, the highest rate on the continent. South Africa followed, with around ** percent of the young labor force being unemployed. Wide disparities in female unemployment Women are another demographic group often facing high unemployment. In Africa, the female unemployment rate stood at roughly ***** percent in 2023, compared to *** percent among men. The average female unemployment on the continent was not particularly high. However, there were significant disparities among African countries. Djibouti and South Africa topped the ranking once again in 2022, with female unemployment rates of around ** percent and ** percent, respectively. In contrast, Niger, Burundi, and Chad were far below Africa’s average, as only roughly *** percent or lower of the women in the labor force were unemployed.