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.

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.

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.

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.

Share of youth not in education, employment or training, total (% of youth population) in South Africa was reported at 34.61 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. South Africa - Share of youth not in education, employment or training, total - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on October of 2025.

South Africa ZA: Literacy Rate: Youth Female: % of Females Aged 15-24 data was reported at 99.229 % in 2015. This records an increase from the previous number of 99.084 % for 2014. South Africa ZA: Literacy Rate: Youth Female: % of Females Aged 15-24 data is updated yearly, averaging 98.901 % from Dec 1980 (Median) to 2015, with 9 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 99.271 % in 2012 and a record low of 84.973 % in 1980. South Africa ZA: Literacy Rate: Youth Female: % of Females 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: Education Statistics. Youth literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15-24 who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life.; ; UNESCO Institute for Statistics; Weighted average; Each economy is classified based on the classification of World Bank Group's fiscal year 2018 (July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018).

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

South Africa ZA: Literacy Rate: Youth: % of People Age 15-24 data was reported at 98.956 % in 2015. This records an increase from the previous number of 98.882 % for 2014. South Africa ZA: Literacy Rate: Youth: % of People Age 15-24 data is updated yearly, averaging 98.644 % from Dec 1980 (Median) to 2015, with 9 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 98.956 % in 2015 and a record low of 85.166 % in 1980. South Africa ZA: Literacy Rate: Youth: % of People Age 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: Education Statistics. Youth literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15-24 who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life.; ; UNESCO Institute for Statistics; Weighted average; Each economy is classified based on the classification of World Bank Group's fiscal year 2018 (July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018).

Explore, visualise and interact with youth-centered data. Includes data on poverty, education, employment, and demographics.

In 2022, approximately 76 percent of individuals aged 7 to 24 years attended educational institutions in South Africa. While Mpumalanga experienced a slight increase of 0.1 percentage points over that period, other provinces like the Northern Cape, Western Cape, and Free State experienced higher increases of 7.3, 6.4, and 5.4 percentage points, respectively.

In 2022, the youth labor force participation rate in South Africa stood at around 30 percent. This presents an improvement from 26.15 percent in 2020, which was the lowest level of youth participation recorded throughout the period under review. Overall, the labor participation rate among the South African youth is following a declining trend.

Abstract

The Survey of Activities of Young People was conducted by Statistics South Africa and commissioned by the Department of Labour, primarily to gather information necessary for formulating an effective programme of action to address the issue of harmful work done by children in South Africa. Technical assistance for the survey was provided by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) and a consultant appointed by the Department of Labour. Stats SA also worked with an advisory committee, consisting of representatives from national government departments most directly concerned with child labour (the Departments of Labour,Welfare,Education and Health), non-governmental organisations, and the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef).

Geographic coverage

The survey has national coverage

Analysis unit

Households and individuals

Universe

The sampled population was household members in South Africa. The survey excluded all people in prison, patients in hospitals, people residing in boarding houses and hotels, and boarding schools. Any single person households were screened out in all areas before the sample was drawn. Families living in hostels were treated as households.

Kind of data

Sample survey data

Sampling procedure

The sample frame was based on the 1996 Population Census Enumerator Areas (EA) and the number of households counted in 1996 Population Census. The sampled population excluded all prisoners in prison, patients in hospitals, people residing in boarding houses and hotels (whether temporary or semi-permanent), and boarding schools. Any single person households were screened out in all areas before the sample was drawn. Families living in hostels were treated as households. Coverage rules for the survey were that all children of usual residents were to be included even if they were not present. This means that most boarding school pupils were included in their parents’ household. The 16 EA types from the 1996 Population Census were condensed into four area types. The four area types were Formal Urban, Informal Urban, Tribal, and Commercial Farms. A decision was made to drop the Institution type EAs.

The EAs were stratified by province, and within a province by the four area types defined above. The sample size (6110 households) was disproportionately allocated to strata by using the square root method. Within the strata the EAs were ordered by magisterial district and the EA-types included in the area type (implicit stratification). PSUs consisted of ONE or more EAs of size 100 households to ensure sufficient numbers for screening. Statistics SA was advised by child labour experts that there was a likelihood of high rates of child labour in the Urban Informal and Rural Farm areas. The sample allocation to Rural Commercial Farms was therefore increased to a minimum of 20 PSUs.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

The Phase one questionnaire covered the following topics: Living conditions of the household, including the type of dwelling, fuels used for cooking, lighting and heating,water source for domestic use, land ownership,tenure and cultivation; demographic information on members of the household, both adults and children. Questions covered the age, gender and population group of each household member, their marital status, their relationships to each other, and their levels of education; migration details; household income; school attendance of children aged 5 -17 years; information on economic and non-economic activities of children aged 5-17 years in the 12 months prior to the survey

Phase two questionnaire The second phase questionnaire was administered to the sampled sub-set of households in which at least one child was involved in some form of work in the year prior to the interview. It covered activities of children in much more detail than in phase one, and the work situation of related adults in the household. Both adults and children were asked to respond.

The data files contain data from sections of the questionnaires as follows:

PERSON: Data from Section 1, 2 and 3 of the questionnaire HHOLD : Data from Section 4 ADULT : Data from Section 5 YOUNGP: Data from Section 6, 7, 8 and 9

South Africa ZA: Gender Parity Index (GPI): Literacy Rate: Youth Aged 15-24 data was reported at 1.006 Ratio in 2015. This records an increase from the previous number of 1.004 Ratio for 2014. South Africa ZA: Gender Parity Index (GPI): Literacy Rate: Youth Aged 15-24 data is updated yearly, averaging 1.007 Ratio from Dec 1980 (Median) to 2015, with 9 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1.011 Ratio in 2007 and a record low of 0.996 Ratio in 1980. South Africa ZA: Gender Parity Index (GPI): Literacy Rate: Youth 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: Education Statistics. Gender parity index for youth literacy rate is the ratio of females to males ages 15-24 who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life.; ; UNESCO Institute for Statistics; Weighted average; Each economy is classified based on the classification of World Bank Group's fiscal year 2018 (July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018).

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.

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.

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.

Abstract

The Survey of Activities of Young People (SAYP) is a household-based survey that collects data on the activities of young people aged 7-17 years who live in South Africa. The survey covers involvement of children in market production activities, production for own final consumption, household chores as well as activities that children engaged in at school. Statistics South Africa collects SAYP information as part of the module of the Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) every four years. This information is gathered from respondents who are members of households living in dwellings that have been selected to take part in the QLFS and have children aged 7-17 years.

The aim of the first survey (SAYP 1999) was to collect information on childrens economic activities, including paid and unpaid work. All subsequent survey's (SAYP 2010, 2015 and 2019) are intended to provide updated information on the economic activities of children, including an analysis of child labour in South Africa. The specific objectives of the SAYP are to understand the extent of childrent's involvement in economic activities, provide information for the formulation of an informed policy to combat child labour within the country and to monitor the South African Child Programme of Action (CLPA) and Sustainable Development Goal (SDG'S).

Geographic coverage

The survey has national coverage.

Analysis unit

Households and individuals

Universe

The SAYP covers children aged 7-17 years resident in a household. The survey excluded all people in prison, patients in hospitals, people residing in boarding houses and hotels, and boarding schools. Any single person households were screened out in all areas before the sample was drawn. Families living in hostels were treated as households.

Kind of data

Sample survey data

Sampling procedure

The Survey of Activities of Young People (SAYP) comprised two stages. The first stage involved identifying households with children aged 7-17 years during the Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) data collection that took place in the third quarter of 2019 (Q3:2019). The second stage involved a follow-up interview with children in those households to establish what kind of activities they were involved in and several other aspects related to the activities they engaged in.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

The SAYP collected data in two phases using one questionnaire.

The first phase questionnaire covered the following topics: Living conditions of the household, including the type of dwelling, fuels used for cooking, lighting and heating,water source for domestic use, land ownership,tenure and cultivation; demographic information on members of the household, both adults and children. Questions covered the age, gender and population group of each household member, their marital status, their relationships to each other, and their levels of education; migration details; household income; school attendance of children aged 5 -17 years; information on economic and non-economic activities of children aged 5-17 years in the 12 months prior to the survey

The second phase questionnaire was administered to the sampled sub-set of households in which at least one child was involved in some form of work in the year prior to the interview. It covered activities of children in much more detail than in phase one, and the work situation of related adults in the household. Both adults and children were asked to respond.

Actual value and historical data chart for South Africa Share Of Youth Not In Education Employment Or Training Female Percent Of Female Youth Population

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

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.