South Africa: Labour force participation rate, women
Women aged 15 and over who are economically active, as a percentage of the female population aged 15 and over. ILO modelled estimate.
Official statisticSource figures as of October 8, 2026Sources & methods
- Sources
- World Bank
- Period covered
- 1990 – 2025
- Source figures as of
- October 8, 2026
- Geography
- South Africa
- Sector
- Whole economy (not a single sector)
- Seasonal adjustment
- Not applicable
- Transformations
- Views other than the level (changes, averages, volatility) are calculated by CK Economics from these figures
- Revisions
- Replaced with the source’s latest figures whenever it revises them.
- Data status
- Current
Key figures
CK estimate% of female population aged 15+ · calculated by CK Economics from World Bank data
- Latest · 2025
- 49.9
- +0.1 pp vs a year earlier1
- 5-year change
- +5.7 pp
- since 20202
- 10-year change
- +2.2 pp
- since 20152
- Record high
- 49.9
- 20253
- Record low
- 44.1
- 20203
- Where the latest ranks
- 100th pct.
- Higher than 100% of the other 35 observations since 19904
- 1Latest observation against the observation one year earlier (for weekly data, the nearest within three days).
- 2Latest observation against the observation five and ten years earlier.
- 3Highest and lowest published observations across the full history shown.
- 4Share of the other published observations that are lower than the latest one, rounded down.
Methodology
Women aged 15 and over who are economically active, as a percentage of the female population aged 15 and over. ILO modelled estimate. Compiled by the World Bank from national statistical offices and international agencies; some series (labour force participation) are ILO modelled estimates. Source series SL.TLF.CACT.FE.ZS. Licence: CC BY 4.0.
Source
World Bank, World Development Indicators (WDI 2026-10-08). https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SL.TLF.CACT.FE.ZS?locations=ZAF
All data
36 observations, newest first · % of female population aged 15+
| Period | Value | Change y/y |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 49.9 | +0.08 pp |
| 2024 | 49.8 | +0.75 pp |
| 2023 | 49.1 | +1.93 pp |
| 2022 | 47.1 | +1.71 pp |
| 2021 | 45.4 | +1.26 pp |
| 2020 | 44.1 | −4.43 pp |
| 2019 | 48.6 | +0.06 pp |
| 2018 | 48.5 | −0.11 pp |
| 2017 | 48.6 | +0.89 pp |
| 2016 | 47.7 | +0.02 pp |
| 2015 | 47.7 | +1.22 pp |
| 2014 | 46.5 | +0.22 pp |
| 2013 | 46.3 | +0.94 pp |
| 2012 | 45.3 | +0.18 pp |
| 2011 | 45.1 | +0.39 pp |
| 2010 | 44.8 | −1.62 pp |
| 2009 | 46.4 | −1.68 pp |
| 2008 | 48.1 | +0.09 pp |
| 2007 | 48 | +0.12 pp |
| 2006 | 47.8 | +0.14 pp |
| 2005 | 47.7 | +0.17 pp |
| 2004 | 47.5 | +0.21 pp |
| 2003 | 47.3 | +0.24 pp |
| 2002 | 47.1 | +0.25 pp |