Gender gap in share of employment in industry: Total employment in in South Africa

South Africa: Gender gap in share of employment in industry: Total employment in was 19.06 % in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
19.06 %
Change on year
down 0.1%
World rank
83rd
of 174 countries
All-time high
22.53 %
in 2021
All-time low
3.8 %
in 2006
Years of data
24
2000–2023

Gender gap in share of employment in industry: Total employment in in South Africa, 2000–2023

5101520252000201120232000: 15.4 %2001: 12.5 %2002: 13 %2003: 14.2 %2004: 12.2 %2005: 7.7 %2006: 3.8 %2007: 4.9 %2008: 14.6 %2009: 14.2 %2010: 15.1 %2011: 13.4 %2012: 14.2 %2013: 14.9 %2014: 16.3 %2015: 15.2 %2016: 16.7 %2017: 14.4 %2018: 13.6 %2019: 16.1 %2020: 17.9 %2021: 22.5 %2022: 19.1 %2023: 19.1 %

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

Analysis

South Africa recorded 19.06 % for gender gap in share of employment in industry: total employment in in 2023.

That represents a change of down 0.1% on the previous year and up 27.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, gender gap in share of employment in industry: total employment in in South Africa peaked at 22.53 % in 2021 and was at its lowest, 3.8 %, in 2006.

South Africa ranks 83rd of 174 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.

Gender gap in share of employment in industry: Total employment in in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Gender gap in share of employment in industry: Total employment in agrifood systems — Value — All age ranges or no breakdown by age — National — Agrifood systems in South Africa, 2000 to 2023.
Year % Change
2000 15.39 %
2001 12.5 % -18.8%
2002 13.01 % +4.1%
2003 14.18 % +9.0%
2004 12.16 % -14.2%
2005 7.67 % -36.9%
2006 3.8 % -50.5%
2007 4.86 % +27.9%
2008 14.58 % +200.0%
2009 14.16 % -2.9%
2010 15.07 % +6.4%
2011 13.36 % -11.3%
2012 14.24 % +6.6%
2013 14.95 % +5.0%
2014 16.34 % +9.3%
2015 15.2 % -7.0%
2016 16.66 % +9.6%
2017 14.44 % -13.3%
2018 13.62 % -5.7%
2019 16.08 % +18.1%
2020 17.89 % +11.3%
2021 22.53 % +25.9%
2022 19.07 % -15.4%
2023 19.06 % -0.1%

South Africa compared with similar countries

  • South Africa's 19.06 % is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 25.43 %, 75% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
  • South Africa's 19.06 % is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 2.48 %, 7.7× the median. (44 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Gender gap in share of employment in industry: Total employment in 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
2008 +200.0% 4.86 % 14.58 %

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 11.23 % 3.8 % 15.39 % 10
2010s 15 % 13.36 % 16.66 % 10
2020s 19.64 % 17.89 % 22.53 % 4

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 80 North Macedonia 22.35 % compare
  2. 81 Equatorial Guinea 19.49 % compare
  3. 82 Spain 19.37 % compare
  4. 84 Hungary 18.18 % compare
  5. 85 Finland 17.89 % compare
  6. 86 Argentina 17.85 % compare

See the full ranking of 224 places →

More agriculture & rural data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is gender gap in share of employment in industry: total employment in in South Africa?
Gender gap in share of employment in industry: total employment in in South Africa was 19.06 % in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
What is the highest gender gap in share of employment in industry: total employment in recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 22.53 % in 2021.
What is the lowest gender gap in share of employment in industry: total employment in recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 3.8 % in 2006.
How does South Africa rank for gender gap in share of employment in industry: total employment in?
South Africa ranks 83rd out of 174 countries with data for 2023.
Is gender gap in share of employment in industry: total employment in rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 27.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
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 share of employment in industry: Total employment in agrifood systems — Value — All age ranges or no breakdown by age — National — Agrifood systems. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Gender gap in share of employment in industry: Total employment in in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Retrieved 18 September 2026, from https://agriculture.statizoid.com/stat/gender-gap-in-share-of-employment-in-industry-total-employment-in-agrifood-systems-value/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Gender gap in share of employment in industry: Total employment in agrifood systems — Value — All age ranges or no breakdown by age — National — Agrifood systems
Unit
%
Source
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Licence
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO)
Coverage
224 places, 5,335 data points, 2000–2023
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.