OECD members vs South Africa: Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age

OECD members
3.5%
in 2019
South Africa
14.4%
in 2018
OECD members rank
37th
South Africa rank
39th

Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age over time

  • OECD members
  • South Africa
5101520198620022019

How they compare

South Africa currently reports 14.4% against 3.5% in OECD members, a difference of 10.9%.

That makes South Africa's figure about 4.1 times OECD members's.

Across all 10 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.

OECD members ranks 37th and South Africa ranks 39th of 45 groups.

South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade OECD members South Africa Difference Ahead
1990s 8.3% 13.2% 4.9% South Africa
2000s 5.3% 12.9% 7.7% South Africa
2010s 3.5% 16.8% 13.2% South Africa

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age, OECD members or South Africa?
South Africa, at 14.4% against 3.5% in OECD members as of 2018.
What is the difference in out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age between OECD members and South Africa?
10.9%, with South Africa ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for OECD members and South Africa?
10 years are reported by both, from 1994 to 2018.
How do OECD members and South Africa rank globally for out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age?
OECD members ranks 37th and South Africa ranks 39th of 45 groups.
Where does this data come from?
UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age, both sexes (%). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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OECD members vs South Africa: Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 18 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/compare/out-of-school-rate-for-adolescents-of-lower-secondary-school-age-both-sexes-percent/oecd-members/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
195 places, 3,656 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

Number of adolescents of official lower secondary school age who are not enrolled in lower secondary school expressed as a percentage of the population of official lower secondary school age.