South Africa vs Zimbabwe: Out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes
South Africa
448,146
in 2023
Zimbabwe
332,314
in 2024
South Africa rank
24th
Zimbabwe rank
27th
Out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes over time
- South Africa
- Zimbabwe
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 448,146 against 332,314 in Zimbabwe, a difference of 115,832.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.3 times Zimbabwe's.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 14 shared years of data; in 1998 it was South Africa ahead.
South Africa ranks 24th and Zimbabwe ranks 27th of 204 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Zimbabwe | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.43 million | 257,223 | 1.18 million | South Africa |
| 2000s | 1.25 million | 90,291 | 1.16 million | South Africa |
| 2010s | 692,492 | 286,206 | 406,287 | South Africa |
| 2020s | 446,976 | 273,034 | 173,942 | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes, South Africa or Zimbabwe?
- South Africa, at 448,146 against 332,314 in Zimbabwe as of 2023.
- What is the difference in out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes between South Africa and Zimbabwe?
- 115,832, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Zimbabwe?
- 14 years are reported by both, from 1998 to 2023.
- How do South Africa and Zimbabwe rank globally for out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes?
- South Africa ranks 24th and Zimbabwe ranks 27th of 204 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Out-of-school children of primary school age, both sexes (number). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
February 2026 Data Release