Share of employment by sex in industry: Employment in off-farm in Southern Africa

Southern Africa: Share of employment by sex in industry: Employment in off-farm was 47.1 % in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
47.1 %
Change on year
down 0.4%
Rank
15th
of 31 groups
All-time high
55.02 %
in 2007
All-time low
46.74 %
in 2021
Years of data
24
2000–2023

Share of employment by sex in industry: Employment in off-farm in Southern Africa, 2000–2023

02040602000201120232000: 48.2 %2001: 51.8 %2002: 51.9 %2003: 51.6 %2004: 50.8 %2005: 52.8 %2006: 54.5 %2007: 55 %2008: 48.7 %2009: 48.8 %2010: 47.8 %2011: 48 %2012: 48 %2013: 48.7 %2014: 47.5 %2015: 48.1 %2016: 48.9 %2017: 49.8 %2018: 49.8 %2019: 48.7 %2020: 48 %2021: 46.7 %2022: 47.3 %2023: 47.1 %

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

Analysis

Southern Africa recorded 47.1 % for share of employment by sex in industry: employment in off-farm in 2023.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.4% on the previous year and down 3.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of employment by sex in industry: employment in off-farm in Southern Africa peaked at 55.02 % in 2007 and was at its lowest, 46.74 %, in 2021.

Southern Africa ranks 15th of 31 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.

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

Share of employment by sex in industry: Employment in off-farm in Southern Africa, year by year

Annual values for Share of employment by sex in industry: Employment in off-farm agrifood systems — Value — Female — All age ranges or no breakdown by age — National — Non-agricultural agrifood systems in Southern Africa, 2000 to 2023.
Year % Change
2000 48.2 %
2001 51.79 % +7.4%
2002 51.86 % +0.1%
2003 51.56 % -0.6%
2004 50.8 % -1.5%
2005 52.81 % +4.0%
2006 54.48 % +3.2%
2007 55.02 % +1.0%
2008 48.71 % -11.5%
2009 48.83 % +0.2%
2010 47.76 % -2.2%
2011 48.04 % +0.6%
2012 47.99 % -0.1%
2013 48.72 % +1.5%
2014 47.51 % -2.5%
2015 48.08 % +1.2%
2016 48.91 % +1.7%
2017 49.79 % +1.8%
2018 49.83 % +0.1%
2019 48.74 % -2.2%
2020 47.95 % -1.6%
2021 46.74 % -2.5%
2022 47.31 % +1.2%
2023 47.1 % -0.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 51.41 % 48.2 % 55.02 % 10
2010s 48.54 % 47.51 % 49.83 % 10
2020s 47.28 % 46.74 % 47.95 % 4

Countries ranked near Southern Africa

  1. 12 Bahamas 65.82 % compare
  2. 12 Democratic Republic of the Congo 50.14 % compare
  3. 13 Liberia 65.79 % compare
  4. 14 Papua New Guinea 63.7 % compare
  5. 15 Madagascar 62.57 % compare
  6. 15 Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) 32.18 % compare
  7. 16 Malawi 62.31 % compare
  8. 16 Türkiye 29.35 % compare
  9. 17 Cambodia 62.17 % compare
  10. 17 Syrian Arab Republic 24.87 % compare
  11. 18 Iran (Islamic Republic of) 18.1 % compare
  12. 18 Namibia 62.09 % compare

See the full ranking of 206 places →

More agriculture & rural data for Southern Africa

All data for Southern Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of employment by sex in industry: employment in off-farm in Southern Africa?
Share of employment by sex in industry: employment in off-farm in Southern Africa was 47.1 % in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
What is the highest share of employment by sex in industry: employment in off-farm recorded in Southern Africa?
The highest recorded value was 55.02 % in 2007.
What is the lowest share of employment by sex in industry: employment in off-farm recorded in Southern Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 46.74 % in 2021.
How does Southern Africa rank for share of employment by sex in industry: employment in off-farm?
Southern Africa ranks 15th out of 31 groups with data for 2023.
Is share of employment by sex in industry: employment in off-farm rising or falling in Southern Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 3.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Southern Africa data come from?
The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Share of employment by sex in industry: Employment in off-farm agrifood systems — Value — Female — All age ranges or no breakdown by age — National — Non-agricultural agrifood systems. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of employment by sex in industry: Employment in off-farm in Southern Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Retrieved 18 September 2026, from https://agriculture.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-employment-by-sex-in-industry-employment-in-off-farm-agrifood-systems-value/southern-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of employment by sex in industry: Employment in off-farm agrifood systems — Value — Female — 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
206 places, 4,710 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.