Barro-Lee: Percentage of population age 35-39 with primary schooling. in South Africa

South Africa: Barro-Lee: Percentage of population age 35-39 with primary schooling. was 16.2% in 2010. ▼ Falling

Latest (2010)
16.2%
World rank
78th
of 144 countries
All-time high
48.8%
in 1990
All-time low
16.2%
in 2010
Years of data
11
1960–2010

Barro-Lee: Percentage of population age 35-39 with primary schooling. in South Africa, 1960–2010

203040501960198520101960: 23.8 Incomplete and Completed Primary1965: 27.7 Incomplete and Completed Primary1970: 28.6 Incomplete and Completed Primary1975: 35.2 Incomplete and Completed Primary1980: 39.6 Incomplete and Completed Primary1985: 47 Incomplete and Completed Primary1990: 48.8 Incomplete and Completed Primary1995: 46 Incomplete and Completed Primary2000: 27.3 Incomplete and Completed Primary2005: 18.7 Incomplete and Completed Primary2010: 16.2 Incomplete and Completed Primary

Source: Robert J. Barro and Jong-Wha Lee: http://www.barrolee.com/. Measured in Incomplete and Completed Primary.

Analysis

In 2010, barro-lee: percentage of population age 35-39 with primary schooling. in South Africa stood at 16.2%. That is the lowest value across all 11 years on record.

The figure is down 40.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, barro-lee: percentage of population age 35-39 with primary schooling. in South Africa peaked at 48.8% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 16.2%, in 2010.

South Africa ranks 78th of 144 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 11 years of available data.

Barro-Lee: Percentage of population age 35-39 with primary schooling. in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Barro-Lee: Percentage of population age 35-39 with primary schooling. Total (Incomplete and Completed Primary) in South Africa, 1960 to 2010.
Year Incomplete and Completed Primary Change
1960 23.8%
1965 27.7% +16.5%
1970 28.6% +3.2%
1975 35.2% +23.2%
1980 39.6% +12.4%
1985 47.0% +18.7%
1990 48.8% +3.9%
1995 46.0% -5.8%
2000 27.3% -40.6%
2005 18.7% -31.7%
2010 16.2% -13.1%

South Africa compared with similar countries

  • South Africa's 16.2% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 26.3%, 62% of the median. (40 countries reporting)
  • South Africa's 16.2% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 32.7%, 50% of the median. (32 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 25.8% 23.8% 27.7% 2
1970s 31.9% 28.6% 35.2% 2
1980s 43.3% 39.6% 47.0% 2
1990s 47.4% 46.0% 48.8% 2
2000s 23.0% 18.7% 27.3% 2
2010s 16.2% 16.2% 16.2% 1

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 75 Liberia 18.9% compare
  2. 76 Sri Lanka 16.6% compare
  3. 77 India 16.3% compare
  4. 79 Malaysia 16.1% compare
  5. 80 Pakistan 15.7% compare
  6. 81 Belize 15.6% compare

See the full ranking of 144 places →

More education data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is barro-lee: percentage of population age 35-39 with primary schooling. in South Africa?
Barro-lee: percentage of population age 35-39 with primary schooling. in South Africa was 16.2% in 2010, according to Robert J. Barro and Jong-Wha Lee: http://www.barrolee.com/.
What is the highest barro-lee: percentage of population age 35-39 with primary schooling. recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 48.8% in 1990.
What is the lowest barro-lee: percentage of population age 35-39 with primary schooling. recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 16.2% in 2010.
How does South Africa rank for barro-lee: percentage of population age 35-39 with primary schooling.?
South Africa ranks 78th out of 144 countries with data for 2010.
Is barro-lee: percentage of population age 35-39 with primary schooling. rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 40.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from Robert J. Barro and Jong-Wha Lee: http://www.barrolee.com/, published as part of Barro-Lee: Percentage of population age 35-39 with primary schooling. Total (Incomplete and Completed Primary). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 11 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Barro-Lee: Percentage of population age 35-39 with primary schooling. in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Robert J. Barro and Jong-Wha Lee: http://www.barrolee.com/. Retrieved 14 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/barro-lee-percentage-of-population-age-35-39-with-primary-schooling-total-incomplete-and/south-africa/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://education.statizoid.com/stat/barro-lee-percentage-of-population-age-35-39-with-primary-schooling-total-incomplete-and/south-africa/">Barro-Lee: Percentage of population age 35-39 with primary schooling. in South Africa</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Barro-Lee: Percentage of population age 35-39 with primary schooling. Total (Incomplete and Completed Primary)
Unit
Incomplete and Completed Primary
Source
Robert J. Barro and Jong-Wha Lee: http://www.barrolee.com/
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
144 places, 1,584 data points, 1960–2010
Last refreshed

Percentage of population age 35-39 with primary schooling. Total (Incomplete and Completed Primary)