Completion rate, upper secondary education, female (%) (rate female) in South Africa
South Africa: Completion rate, upper secondary education, female (%) (rate female) was 68.4% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Completion rate, upper secondary education, female in South Africa, 2011–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, completion rate, upper secondary education, female in South Africa stood at 68.4%. That is the highest value across all 7 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 8.2% on the previous year and up 31.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, completion rate, upper secondary education, female in South Africa peaked at 68.4% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 51.9%, in 2016.
That places South Africa 53rd out of 95 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
Completion rate, upper secondary education, female (%) (rate female) in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 52.1% | — |
| 2016 | 51.9% | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 62.3% | +20.0% |
| 2021 | 65.3% | +4.9% |
| 2022 | 62.1% | -4.9% |
| 2023 | 63.3% | +1.9% |
| 2024 | 68.4% | +8.2% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 68.4% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 75.3%, 91% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 68.4% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 16.4%, 4.2× the median. (28 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 52.0% | 51.9% | 52.1% | 2 |
| 2020s | 64.3% | 62.1% | 68.4% | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More education data for South Africa
- 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)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.119 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is completion rate, upper secondary education, female in South Africa?
- Completion rate, upper secondary education, female in South Africa was 68.4% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest completion rate, upper secondary education, female recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 68.4% in 2024.
- What is the lowest completion rate, upper secondary education, female recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 51.9% in 2016.
- How does South Africa rank for completion rate, upper secondary education, female?
- South Africa ranks 53rd out of 95 countries with data for 2024.
- Is completion rate, upper secondary education, female rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 31.8%. 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, upper secondary education, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 7 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release