South Africa — Unemployment rate
percent · Annual · 1980–2031 · 52 observations
About this series
The unemployment rate is the number of people without work who are available for and seeking work, divided by the labour force. It is expressed as a percentage.
The latest unemployment rate reading for South Africa was 32.3% in 2025. The previous reading was 32.6% in 2024; the period change was −0.25 percentage points.
Get the full series
- Annual data, 1980–2031
- Quarterly data, 1994–2027
- Monthly data, 2000–2026
- All 5 sources, downloadable
Latest observations
2021–2031
| Period | Value |
|---|---|
| 2031 | 31.9 % |
| 2030 | 32 % |
| 2029 | 32.1 % |
| 2028 | 32.2 % |
| 2027 | 32.4 % |
6 earlier values, back to 2021
| 2026 | 32.5 % |
| 2025 | 32.3 % |
| 2024 | 32.6 % |
| 2023 | 32.4 % |
| 2022 | 33.5 % |
| 2021 | 34.3 % |