South Africa Total Labor Force (2025)
South Africa's Total Labor Force: 26,731,522 persons in 2025, +1.4% YoY. World Bank (SL.TLF.TOTL.IN), 1990–2025.
South Africa (2025)
26,731,522
persons
+1.4% YoY
YoY Change
+1.4%
persons
Trend
up
Series length
36
years of data
Data
| Year | persons | YoY Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 26,731,522 | +1.4% |
| 2024 | 26,362,253 | +2.5% |
| 2023 | 25,707,269 | +4.6% |
| 2022 | 24,587,967 | +4.7% |
| 2021 | 23,480,812 | +5.1% |
| 2020 | 22,347,803 | -6.5% |
| 2019 | 23,899,064 | +2.5% |
| 2018 | 23,325,105 | +1.9% |
| 2017 | 22,888,401 | +1.9% |
| 2016 | 22,454,382 | +1.1% |
| 2015 | 22,199,948 | +4.8% |
| 2014 | 21,191,119 | +2.4% |
| 2013 | 20,696,420 | +3.1% |
| 2012 | 20,077,789 | +2.5% |
| 2011 | 19,595,642 | +1.5% |
| 2010 | 19,313,604 | -1.6% |
| 2009 | 19,627,941 | -1.8% |
| 2008 | 19,985,153 | +1.4% |
| 2007 | 19,701,783 | +1.4% |
| 2006 | 19,425,615 | +1.4% |
About this Dataset
South Africa recorded 26,731,522 persons in 2025. The latest change was +369,269. Across 1990–2025 the series ranges from 14,739,816 in 1990 to 26,731,522 in 2025.
This page tracks the total labour force (employed + unemployed, ages 15+) in South Africa from 1990 to present. Labour force size is the primary input to potential GDP estimation and workforce market sizing.
Data sourced from World Bank via Open Data API. Values use World Bank standardised methodology intended for cross-country comparison.
Frequently Asked Questions
This page tracks the total labour force (employed + unemployed, ages 15+) in South Africa from 1990 to present. Labour force size is the primary input to potential GDP estimation and workforce market sizing. It is published by World Bank and updated annually.
The most recent observation covers 2025. World Bank typically publishes this series with a lag of several months after the reference period. The series runs 1990–2025 (36 observations).
The series peaked at 26,731,522 persons in 2025 and reached its lowest recorded value of 14,739,816 in 1990. The latest reading of 26,731,522 in 2025 represents a change of +369,269.