Completion rate, primary education, female in South Africa

South Africa: Completion rate, primary education, female was 98.4% in 2024. ▬ Flat

Latest (2024)
98.4%
Change on year
down 0.2%
World rank
39th
of 90 countries
All-time high
98.9%
in 2020
All-time low
94.8%
in 2011
Years of data
7
2011–2024

Completion rate, primary education, female in South Africa, 2011–2024

0204060801002011201720242011: 94.8 %2016: 98.3 %2020: 98.9 %2021: 98.1 %2022: 98.4 %2023: 98.6 %2024: 98.4 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2024, completion rate, primary education, female in South Africa stood at 98.4%.

That represents a change of down 0.2% on the previous year and up 0.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, completion rate, primary education, female in South Africa peaked at 98.9% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 94.8%, in 2011.

That places South Africa 39th out of 90 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.

Completion rate, primary education, female in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Completion rate, primary education, female (%) in South Africa, 2011 to 2024.
Year % Change
2011 94.8%
2016 98.3% +3.7%
2020 98.9% +0.7%
2021 98.1% -0.8%
2022 98.4% +0.3%
2023 98.6% +0.2%
2024 98.4% -0.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 96.5% 94.8% 98.3% 2
2020s 98.5% 98.1% 98.9% 5

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 36 Romania 98.5% compare
  2. 37 Colombia 98.5% compare
  3. 38 Poland 98.5% compare
  4. 40 Ecuador 98.1% compare
  5. 41 Brazil 98.1% compare
  6. 42 Philippines 97.9% compare

See the full ranking of 129 places →

More education data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is completion rate, primary education, female in South Africa?
Completion rate, primary education, female in South Africa was 98.4% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest completion rate, primary education, female recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 98.9% in 2020.
What is the lowest completion rate, primary education, female recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 94.8% in 2011.
How does South Africa rank for completion rate, primary education, female?
South Africa ranks 39th out of 90 countries with data for 2024.
Is completion rate, primary education, female rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 0.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Completion rate, primary education, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Completion rate, primary education, female in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 27 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/completion-rate-primary-education-female-percent-2/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Completion rate, primary education, female (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
129 places, 2,388 data points, 1990–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release