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Indicators · People and labour

Unemployment

Share of the labour force without work but available for and seeking work (ILO modelled estimate).

Why it matters

High unemployment means available labour but also weak demand and social pressure.

Read with care

In economies where most work is informal, low unemployment can hide widespread underemployment.

Source

World Bank

% of labour force. 53 African countries, 1991 to 2025.

Unemployment: highest in Eswatini, lowest in Tanzania

Unemployment, % of labour force. Latest year available, 2025. 15 of 16 countries have data.

4.3%
5.8%
11%
20%
No data
Loading map…
Source: World Bank· Get the data (Professional)·dotzedw Insights Centre

Ranked: unemploymentiWhy it mattersHigh unemployment means available labour but also weak demand and social pressure.

Click a country to highlight it.

0%10%20%30%Eswatini34.2%South Africa32.4%Botswana24.5%Namibia19.3%Lesotho16.3%Angola14.1%Zimbabwe9.3%Mozambique6.6%Zambia5.9%Mauritius5.6%Malawi5.1%DRC4.4%Comoros3.8%Madagascar3.0%Tanzania1.6%median 6.6%
dotzedw Insights Centre
How spread out SADC is
Median 6.6%Log scaleLowest: Tanzania 1.6%Highest: Eswatini 34.2%

Over time

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Unemployment against income per person

Each bubble is a SADC country, sized by population. Dashed lines mark the SADC medians. Countries far from the pattern are worth a closer look.

0.0%5.0%10.0%15.0%20.0%25.0%30.0%35.0%$1,000$3,000$10kGDP per person, US$ (log scale)UnemploymentDRCTanzaniaSouth AfricaAngolaMozambiqueMadagascarMalawiZambia
Source: World Bank, World Bank·dotzedw Insights Centre

Table

The same figures as the map, for screen readers and copying.
RankCountryValueYearFive-year changeGradeDetails
1Eswatini34.2%2025up 1.2 point since 2020A
2South Africa32.4%2025up 3.2 points since 2020A
3Botswana24.5%2025up 3.5 points since 2020A
4Namibia19.3%2025down 1.7 point since 2020A
5Lesotho16.3%2025down 2.1 points since 2020A
6Angola14.1%2025down 2.6 points since 2020A
7Zimbabwe9.3%2025up 0.7 points since 2020A
8Mozambique6.6%2025up 1.6 point since 2020A
9Zambia5.9%2025little changed since 2020A
10Mauritius5.6%2025down 3.0 points since 2020A
11Malawi5.1%2025down 0.6 points since 2020A
12DRC4.4%2025down 0.9 points since 2020A
13Comoros3.8%2025down 0.6 points since 2020A
14Madagascar3.0%2025down 0.3 points since 2020A
15Tanzania1.6%2025down 0.2 points since 2020A
–SeychellesNo recent data