Completion rate, primary education, male in South Africa

South Africa: Completion rate, primary education, male was 96.7% in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
96.7%
Change on year
down 0.1%
World rank
45th
of 88 countries
All-time high
98.0%
in 2021
All-time low
91.3%
in 2011
Years of data
7
2011–2024

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

0204060801002011201720242011: 91.3 %2016: 94.7 %2020: 96.6 %2021: 98 %2022: 96.6 %2023: 96.9 %2024: 96.7 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2024, completion rate, primary education, male in South Africa stood at 96.7%.

That represents a change of down 0.1% on the previous year and up 2.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, completion rate, primary education, male in South Africa peaked at 98.0% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 91.3%, in 2011.

That places South Africa 45th out of 88 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.

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

Annual values for Completion rate, primary education, male (%) in South Africa, 2011 to 2024.
Year % Change
2011 91.3%
2016 94.7% +3.7%
2020 96.6% +2.1%
2021 98.0% +1.4%
2022 96.6% -1.4%
2023 96.9% +0.3%
2024 96.7% -0.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 93.0% 91.3% 94.7% 2
2020s 97.0% 96.6% 98.0% 5

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 42 Guyana 97.3% compare
  2. 43 Mongolia 97.2% compare
  3. 44 Brazil 97.2% compare
  4. 46 Paraguay 96.2% compare
  5. 47 Colombia 96.1% compare
  6. 48 Jordan 96.1% compare

See the full ranking of 127 places →

More education data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is completion rate, primary education, male in South Africa?
Completion rate, primary education, male in South Africa was 96.7% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest completion rate, primary education, male recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 98.0% in 2021.
What is the lowest completion rate, primary education, male recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 91.3% in 2011.
How does South Africa rank for completion rate, primary education, male?
South Africa ranks 45th out of 88 countries with data for 2024.
Is completion rate, primary education, male rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 2.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Completion rate, primary education, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Completion rate, primary education, male in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 28 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/completion-rate-primary-education-male-percent-2/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Completion rate, primary education, male (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
127 places, 2,364 data points, 1990–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release