Inactivity rate (ILO modelled estimates) in Southern Africa
Southern Africa: Inactivity rate (ILO modelled estimates) was 43.89 in 2027. ▲ Rising
Inactivity rate (ILO modelled estimates) in Southern Africa, 1990–2027
Source: International Labour Organization.
Analysis
Southern Africa recorded 43.89 for inactivity rate (ilo modelled estimates) in 2027.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, inactivity rate (ilo modelled estimates) in Southern Africa peaked at 48.75 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 41.37, in 1990.
Southern Africa ranks 18th of 87 groups on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 38 years of available data.
Inactivity rate (ILO modelled estimates) in Southern Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 41.37 | — |
| 1991 | 41.44 | +0.2% |
| 1992 | 41.44 | -0.0% |
| 1993 | 41.53 | +0.2% |
| 1994 | 41.55 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 41.49 | -0.1% |
| 1996 | 41.51 | +0.1% |
| 1997 | 41.62 | +0.3% |
| 1998 | 41.83 | +0.5% |
| 1999 | 42.07 | +0.6% |
| 2000 | 42.33 | +0.6% |
| 2001 | 42.57 | +0.6% |
| 2002 | 42.82 | +0.6% |
| 2003 | 43.05 | +0.5% |
| 2004 | 43.25 | +0.5% |
| 2005 | 43.41 | +0.4% |
| 2006 | 43.53 | +0.3% |
| 2007 | 43.62 | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 43.68 | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 45.29 | +3.7% |
| 2010 | 46.9 | +3.5% |
| 2011 | 46.97 | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 46.66 | -0.6% |
| 2013 | 46.03 | -1.4% |
| 2014 | 45.88 | -0.3% |
| 2015 | 44.78 | -2.4% |
| 2016 | 44.7 | -0.2% |
| 2017 | 44.18 | -1.2% |
| 2018 | 44.42 | +0.5% |
| 2019 | 44.35 | -0.1% |
| 2020 | 48.75 | +9.9% |
| 2021 | 47.34 | -2.9% |
| 2022 | 45.89 | -3.1% |
| 2023 | 44.41 | -3.2% |
| 2024 | 43.91 | -1.1% |
| 2025 | 43.9 | -0.0% |
| 2026 | 43.89 | -0.0% |
| 2027 | 43.89 | -0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 41.58 | 41.37 | 42.07 | 10 |
| 2000s | 43.36 | 42.33 | 45.29 | 10 |
| 2010s | 45.49 | 44.18 | 46.97 | 10 |
| 2020s | 45.25 | 43.89 | 48.75 | 8 |
Countries ranked near Southern Africa
More gender data for Southern Africa
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 20,374 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth 0.5706 % change on previous year (2030)
- Number of seats held by women in national parliaments 274 (2026)
- Proportion of seats held by women in national parliaments 35.8% (2026)
- Proportion of women aged 15-49 years with anaemia 31.0% (2023)
- Proportion of women aged 15-49 years with anaemia, pregnant 29.6% (2023)
- Proportion of women aged 15-49 years with anaemia, non-pregnant 31.1% (2023)
- Proportion of women in managerial positions - 13th ICLS 36.9% (2025)
- Ratio for female members of parliaments (Ratio of the proportion of) 0.7% (2026)
- Ratio for female members of parliaments (Ratio of the proportion of) 0.5% (2026)
Frequently asked questions
- What is inactivity rate (ilo modelled estimates) in Southern Africa?
- Inactivity rate (ilo modelled estimates) in Southern Africa was 43.89 in 2027, according to International Labour Organization.
- What is the highest inactivity rate (ilo modelled estimates) recorded in Southern Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 48.75 in 2020.
- What is the lowest inactivity rate (ilo modelled estimates) recorded in Southern Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 41.37 in 1990.
- How does Southern Africa rank for inactivity rate (ilo modelled estimates)?
- Southern Africa ranks 18th out of 87 groups with data for 2027.
- Is inactivity rate (ilo modelled estimates) rising or falling in Southern Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Southern 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.