Unemployment rate in South Africa, 2026
Unemployment rate in 2026 (year-to-date through 1 January 2026): Annual value (as of 1 January 2026) — 32.456 % of the labour force. Comparison with the previous year and position in the series history. Official data — International Monetary Fund.
Unemployment rate in 2026: data as of 1 January 2026
- Value: 32.456 % of the labour force
- Change vs 2025: +0.106 % of the labour force (+0.33 %)
- Position in history: above the 47-year average (average — 23.1087 % of the labour force)
- Series maximum — 34.3 % of the labour force in 2021 (5 years ago)
- Series minimum — 9.2406 % of the labour force in 1980 (46 years ago)
- Value date: 1 January 2026
- Source: International Monetary Fund
Dynamics over neighbouring years
| Year | Value, % of the labour force |
|---|---|
| 2017 | 27.45 |
| 2018 | 27.125 |
| 2019 | 28.7 |
| 2020 | 29.175 |
| 2021 | 34.3 |
| 2022 | 33.5 |
| 2023 | 32.375 |
| 2024 | 32.6 |
| 2025 | 32.35 |
| 2026 | 32.456 |
Full history and interactive chart
Complete series for South Africa — on the Unemployment rate page.
Other years
- Unemployment rate in 2011
- Unemployment rate in 2012
- Unemployment rate in 2013
- Unemployment rate in 2014
- Unemployment rate in 2015
- Unemployment rate in 2016
- Unemployment rate in 2017
- Unemployment rate in 2018
- Unemployment rate in 2019
- Unemployment rate in 2020
- Unemployment rate in 2021
- Unemployment rate in 2022
- Unemployment rate in 2023
- Unemployment rate in 2024
- Unemployment rate in 2025