Makrognosis

South Africa Unemployment Rate

QuarterlyNot seasonally adjustedCode ZA.UNEMP.Q.NSA

Latest33.7%Q3 2026
Previous33.6%Q2 2026
Year ago31.9%Q3 2025

South Africa Unemployment Rate was 33.7% in Q3 2026, up 0.1 percentage points from Q2 2026 and up 1.8 percentage points from a year earlier.

That is the highest reading since Q2 2022.

Among the 53 economies Makrognosis covers on this measure, it is the highest.

Over the past ten years it has ranged from 23.3% (Q2 2020) to 35.3% (Q4 2021), averaging 30.8%.

South Africa Unemployment Rate (%), Q1 1996 – Q3 202615%20%25%30%35%200020052010201520202025Robomacro
South Africa Unemployment Rate (%), Q1 1996 – Q3 2026. Source: South African Reserve Bank (SARB) Web API.

Showing the full history (downsampled for display). Open the interactive chart to zoom and switch transforms.

Recent data

PeriodValue
Q3 202633.7%
Q2 202633.6%
Q1 202632.7%
Q4 202531.4%
Q3 202531.9%
Q2 202533.2%
Q1 202532.9%
Q4 202431.9%
Q3 202432.1%
Q2 202433.5%
Q1 202432.9%
Q4 202332.1%
Q3 202331.9%
Q2 202332.6%
Q1 202332.9%
Q4 202232.7%
Q3 202232.9%
Q2 202233.9%
Q1 202234.5%
Q4 202135.3%
Q3 202134.9%
Q2 202134.4%
Q1 202132.6%
Q4 202032.5%

Last 24 observations. The full history (123 observations) is available through the API.

Get South Africa Unemployment Rate in your code or spreadsheet

One guessable code, agency-direct, updated on release. Free tier available.

curl -H "X-API-Key: $MAKROGNOSIS_KEY" \
  "https://makrognosis.robomacro.com/v1/series/ZA.UNEMP.Q.NSA"

# Python
import requests
r = requests.get("https://makrognosis.robomacro.com/v1/series/ZA.UNEMP.Q.NSA",
                 headers={"X-API-Key": KEY})
obs = r.json()["observations"]
Get a free API key → · API docs

About this series

Latest observationQ3 2026
First observationQ1 1996
Observations123
FrequencyQuarterly
Units%
AdjustmentNot seasonally adjusted
10-year high35.3% (Q4 2021)
10-year low23.3% (Q2 2020)
10-year average30.8%
Source agencySouth African Reserve Bank (SARB) Web API
Makrognosis codeZA.UNEMP.Q.NSA

Unemployment Rate: how South Africa compares

#EconomyPeriodLatest
1South AfricaQ3 202633.7%
2FinlandQ3 202611.0%
3North MacedoniaQ3 202610.7%
4SpainQ3 202610.3%
5ChileQ3 20269.8%
6SwedenQ3 20268.6%
7FranceQ3 20268.5%
8TurkeyQ3 20268.4%
9EstoniaQ3 20268.0%
10ArgentinaQ2 20267.9%
11GreeceQ3 20267.6%
12LuxembourgQ3 20267.3%

Unemployment Rate by country: all 53 economies ranked →

Other South Africa indicators

South Africa GDP (Gross Domestic Product)South Africa Nominal GDP at market prices (ZAR million, SAAR, SARB QB)South Africa Inflation Rate (CPI)South Africa 10-Year Government Bond YieldSouth Africa Credit Rating & Sovereign Risk ScoreSouth Africa Industrial ProductionSouth Africa Retail SalesSouth Africa Producer Price Inflation (PPI)South Africa Current Account Balance - Balance of Payments (NSA)South Africa Trade Balance: Goods & ServicesSouth Africa Exports of goods and services, constant 2015 prices, SA annualised (SARB Web API NRI6013D; Quarterly Bulletin KBP6013D)South Africa Total Exports of Goods Including Gold - SARS Customs (NSA)South Africa Imports of goods and services, constant 2015 prices, SA annualised (SARB Web API NRI6014D; Quarterly Bulletin KBP6014D)South Africa Total Imports of Goods - SARS Customs (NSA)South Africa Government Debt to GDPSouth Africa Employment

FAQ

What is the current unemployment Rate in South Africa?
The latest reading is 33.7% for Q3 2026, published by South African Reserve Bank (SARB) Web API.
Where does this data come from?
It is collected directly from South African Reserve Bank (SARB) Web API and is available through the Makrognosis API under the code ZA.UNEMP.Q.NSA.

Last updated 2026-11-10. Source: South African Reserve Bank (SARB) Web API. Original title: “Unemployment Rate - Official (Household Survey, NSA)”.