Gender gap in formal employment by industry: Non-agricultural in South Africa

South Africa: Gender gap in formal employment by industry: Non-agricultural was 1.29 % in 2024. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2024)
1.29 %
Change on year
up 3,325.0%
World rank
34th
of 39 countries
All-time high
5.04 %
in 2020
All-time low
-15.75 %
in 2000
Years of data
25
2000–2024

Gender gap in formal employment by industry: Non-agricultural in South Africa, 2000–2024

-15-10-5052000201220242000: -15.8 %2001: -13 %2002: -10.4 %2003: -5.7 %2004: -2 %2005: -1.1 %2006: -7 %2007: -12.5 %2008: 3.2 %2009: 3.5 %2010: 3.2 %2011: 2 %2012: 1.3 %2013: 4 %2014: 2.7 %2015: 1.4 %2016: -0.32 %2017: 0.44 %2018: 0.74 %2019: 2 %2020: 5 %2021: 3.8 %2022: 0.44 %2023: -0.04 %2024: 1.3 %

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for gender gap in formal employment by industry: non-agricultural in South Africa is 1.29 %, measured in 2024.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 3,325.0% on the previous year and down 51.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, gender gap in formal employment by industry: non-agricultural in South Africa peaked at 5.04 % in 2020 and was at its lowest, -15.75 %, in 2000.

South Africa ranks 34th of 39 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Gender gap in formal employment by industry: Non-agricultural in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Gender gap in formal employment by industry: Non-agricultural agrifood systems — Value — All age ranges or no breakdown by age — National — Non-agricultural agrifood systems in South Africa, 2000 to 2024.
Year % Change
2000 -15.75 %
2001 -13.02 % -17.3%
2002 -10.4 % -20.1%
2003 -5.65 % -45.7%
2004 -2 % -64.6%
2005 -1.08 % -46.0%
2006 -7.04 % +551.9%
2007 -12.54 % +78.1%
2008 3.24 % -125.8%
2009 3.53 % +9.0%
2010 3.23 % -8.5%
2011 2.04 % -36.8%
2012 1.34 % -34.3%
2013 4.02 % +200.0%
2014 2.66 % -33.8%
2015 1.4 % -47.4%
2016 -0.32 % -122.9%
2017 0.44 % -237.5%
2018 0.74 % +68.2%
2019 1.98 % +167.6%
2020 5.04 % +154.5%
2021 3.84 % -23.8%
2022 0.44 % -88.5%
2023 -0.04 % -109.1%
2024 1.29 % -3325.0%

South Africa compared with similar countries

  • South Africa's 1.29 % is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 13.16 %, 10% of the median. (20 countries reporting)
  • South Africa's 1.29 % is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 10.23 %, 13% of the median. (10 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Gender gap in formal employment by industry: Non-agricultural in South Africa changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
2024 +3325.0% -0.04 % 1.29 %
2006 -551.9% -1.08 % -7.04 %

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s -6.07 % -15.75 % 3.53 % 10
2010s 1.75 % -0.32 % 4.02 % 10
2020s 2.11 % -0.04 % 5.04 % 5

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 31 Brunei Darussalam 3.86 % compare
  2. 32 Rwanda 3.58 % compare
  3. 33 Serbia 1.95 % compare
  4. 35 Botswana 0.27 % compare
  5. 36 Bosnia and Herzegovina -1.12 % compare
  6. 37 Grenada -1.79 % compare

See the full ranking of 42 places →

More agriculture & rural data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is gender gap in formal employment by industry: non-agricultural in South Africa?
Gender gap in formal employment by industry: non-agricultural in South Africa was 1.29 % in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
What is the highest gender gap in formal employment by industry: non-agricultural recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 5.04 % in 2020.
What is the lowest gender gap in formal employment by industry: non-agricultural recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was -15.75 % in 2000.
How does South Africa rank for gender gap in formal employment by industry: non-agricultural?
South Africa ranks 34th out of 39 countries with data for 2024.
Is gender gap in formal employment by industry: non-agricultural rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 51.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Gender gap in formal employment by industry: Non-agricultural agrifood systems — Value — All age ranges or no breakdown by age — National — Non-agricultural agrifood systems. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Gender gap in formal employment by industry: Non-agricultural in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Retrieved 16 September 2026, from https://agriculture.statizoid.com/stat/gender-gap-in-formal-employment-by-industry-non-agricultural-agrifood-systems-value-all/south-africa/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://agriculture.statizoid.com/stat/gender-gap-in-formal-employment-by-industry-non-agricultural-agrifood-systems-value-all/south-africa/">Gender gap in formal employment by industry: Non-agricultural in South Africa</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Gender gap in formal employment by industry: Non-agricultural agrifood systems — Value — All age ranges or no breakdown by age — National — Non-agricultural agrifood systems
Unit
%
Source
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Licence
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO)
Coverage
42 places, 511 data points, 2000–2025
Last refreshed

The Suite of Gender Indicators presents a set of indicators relevant to agrifood systems that are disaggregated by sex, with the aim of highlighting gender differences across agrifood systems. The initial set of indicators is based on those used in FAO’s 2023 Status of Women in Agrifood Systems (SWAFS) report and on the recommendations of an expert consultation held in December 2023, and covers key dimensions including economic participation, governance, agency, social norms, assets and services, education, health, and nutrition. Indicator selection was informed by expert judgment and by the availability of data with sufficient geographic and temporal coverage to enable meaningful comparisons across regions and over time. While most indicators are produced and published by FAO and other international organizations, the objective of this domain is to provide a one-stop shop for sex-disaggregated data on agrifood systems.