Inactivity rate (ILO modelled estimates) in South Africa
South Africa: Inactivity rate (ILO modelled estimates) was 44.41 in 2027. ▲ Rising
Inactivity rate (ILO modelled estimates) in South Africa, 1990–2027
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 44.41 for inactivity rate (ilo modelled estimates) in 2027.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, inactivity rate (ilo modelled estimates) in South Africa peaked at 49.45 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 41.91, in 1990.
South Africa ranks 52nd of 188 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 38 years of available data.
Inactivity rate (ILO modelled estimates) in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 41.91 | — |
| 1991 | 41.97 | +0.1% |
| 1992 | 41.95 | -0.0% |
| 1993 | 42.05 | +0.2% |
| 1994 | 42.06 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 41.98 | -0.2% |
| 1996 | 41.96 | -0.0% |
| 1997 | 42.05 | +0.2% |
| 1998 | 42.26 | +0.5% |
| 1999 | 42.49 | +0.6% |
| 2000 | 42.74 | +0.6% |
| 2001 | 42.99 | +0.6% |
| 2002 | 43.25 | +0.6% |
| 2003 | 43.5 | +0.6% |
| 2004 | 43.7 | +0.5% |
| 2005 | 43.87 | +0.4% |
| 2006 | 44.01 | +0.3% |
| 2007 | 44.12 | +0.3% |
| 2008 | 44.21 | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 46.04 | +4.1% |
| 2010 | 47.73 | +3.7% |
| 2011 | 47.83 | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 47.49 | -0.7% |
| 2013 | 46.92 | -1.2% |
| 2014 | 46.69 | -0.5% |
| 2015 | 45.41 | -2.7% |
| 2016 | 45.29 | -0.3% |
| 2017 | 44.64 | -1.4% |
| 2018 | 44.84 | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 44.73 | -0.2% |
| 2020 | 49.45 | +10.5% |
| 2021 | 47.98 | -3.0% |
| 2022 | 46.5 | -3.1% |
| 2023 | 44.98 | -3.3% |
| 2024 | 44.43 | -1.2% |
| 2025 | 44.42 | -0.0% |
| 2026 | 44.41 | -0.0% |
| 2027 | 44.41 | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 42.07 | 41.91 | 42.49 | 10 |
| 2000s | 43.84 | 42.74 | 46.04 | 10 |
| 2010s | 46.16 | 44.64 | 47.83 | 10 |
| 2020s | 45.82 | 44.41 | 49.45 | 8 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More gender data for South Africa
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 17,151 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth 0.6591 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 570,099 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 589,533 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 570,599 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 589,626 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 569,634 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, male, interpolated 588,323 (2025)
- Age population, age 03, female, interpolated 594,743 (2025)
- Age population, age 03, male, interpolated 603,304 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is inactivity rate (ilo modelled estimates) in South Africa?
- Inactivity rate (ilo modelled estimates) in South Africa was 44.41 in 2027, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest inactivity rate (ilo modelled estimates) recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 49.45 in 2020.
- What is the lowest inactivity rate (ilo modelled estimates) recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 41.91 in 1990.
- How does South Africa rank for inactivity rate (ilo modelled estimates)?
- South Africa ranks 52nd out of 188 countries with data for 2027.
- Is inactivity rate (ilo modelled estimates) rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from International Labour Organization, published as part of Inactivity rate (ILO modelled estimates) (15+). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 38 observations, free to reuse under ILO Terms of Use (attribution required).
About this data
Imputed observations are not based on national data, are subject to high uncertainty and should not be used for country comparisons or rankings. This series is based on the 13th ICLS definitions. This indicator conveys the number of persons of working age outside the labour force (that is, not employed or unemployed) expressed as a percentage of the working-age population. For more information, refer to the ILO Modelled Estimates (ILOEST) database description.