Children not in school in South Africa
South Africa: Children not in school was 21.22 in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
21.22
Change on year
down 5.7%
World rank
70th
of 179 countries
All-time high
62.91
in 2000
All-time low
20.8
in 2020
Years of data
10
1998–2023
Children not in school in South Africa, 1998–2023
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 21.22 for children not in school in 2023.
The figure is down 5.7% on the previous year and down 28.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, children not in school in South Africa peaked at 62.91 in 2000 and was at its lowest, 20.8, in 2020.
South Africa ranks 70th of 179 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 10 years of available data.
Children not in school in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 36.87 | — |
| 1999 | 43.94 | +19.2% |
| 2000 | 62.91 | +43.2% |
| 2015 | 29.58 | -53.0% |
| 2018 | 23.04 | -22.1% |
| 2019 | 23.35 | +1.4% |
| 2020 | 20.8 | -10.9% |
| 2021 | 30.12 | +44.8% |
| 2022 | 22.5 | -25.3% |
| 2023 | 21.22 | -5.7% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 21.22 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 14.57, 1.5× the median. (53 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 21.22 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 43.8, 48% of the median. (34 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 40.41 | 36.87 | 43.94 | 2 |
| 2000s | 62.91 | 62.91 | 62.91 | 1 |
| 2010s | 25.32 | 23.04 | 29.58 | 3 |
| 2020s | 23.66 | 20.8 | 30.12 | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More education data for South Africa
- Gender gap education levels, gaps filled 94.05 (2023)
- Primary enrollment selected countries, gaps filled 93.94 (2023)
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 181,739 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 339,638 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 410,708 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 407,696 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 5.50 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 7.52 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -1.44 % change on previous year (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is children not in school in South Africa?
- Children not in school in South Africa was 21.22 in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest children not in school recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 62.91 in 2000.
- What is the lowest children not in school recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 20.8 in 2020.
- How does South Africa rank for children not in school?
- South Africa ranks 70th out of 179 countries with data for 2023.
- Is children not in school rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 28.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Children not in school. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 10 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).