Youth Unemployment in South Africa Reaches Record Highs, Stats SA Reports

Youth unemployment in South Africa has escalated to unprecedented levels, with nearly half of the country’s young working-age population unemployed, according to the latest data from Statistics South Africa (Stats SA).

The first quarter of 2025 reveals that individuals aged 15 to 34 constitute approximately 50.2% of South Africa’s working-age population, equating to around 20.9 million people. Within this group, the 15–24 age bracket—comprising about 10.3 million individuals—faces the most significant challenges in securing employment, with unemployment rates substantially higher than those of older youth.

Over the past decade, youth unemployment has shown a troubling upward trend. In the first quarter of 2015, the official unemployment rate for youth aged 15 to 34 was 36.9%. By Q1 2025, this figure had risen to 46.1%, marking a 9.2 percentage point increase.

The situation is even more dire among the youngest job seekers. For those aged 15 to 24, unemployment stood at 50.3% in Q1 2015, escalating to 62.4% a decade later. Among individuals aged 25 to 34, the rate increased from 31.4% to 40.4% over the same period.

Geographical disparities further exacerbate the issue. In the North West province, youth unemployment reached 58.8% in Q1 2025, with only 43.0% of young people aged 15–34 participating in the labour market. The Eastern Cape presents a similar scenario, recording a youth unemployment rate of 54.3% and the lowest youth labour force participation rate nationally at 39.8%.

Gender disparities are also evident. In Q1 2025, the NEET (Not in Employment, Education, or Training) rate for youth aged 15–24 was 37.1%, with young women (37.5%) slightly more affected than young men (36.7%). The gap widens in the broader 15–34 age group, where the NEET rate was 45.1%; within this cohort, 48.1% of women were NEET compared to 42.2% of men.

Discouragement among young job seekers is a growing concern. Approximately 1.9 million youth aged 15–34 were classified as discouraged work-seekers in Q1 2025, indicating they had given up looking for work. This is notably higher than the 1.5 million discouraged adults aged 35–64. Among the 4.8 million unemployed youth, 58.7% reported having no previous work experience, highlighting the challenges young people face in entering the job market.

These statistics underscore the urgent need for targeted interventions to address youth unemployment in South Africa, focusing on education, skills development, and job creation to integrate young people into the economy effectively.