Completion rate, upper secondary education, male (modelled data) in South Africa
South Africa: Completion rate, upper secondary education, male (modelled data) was 48.5% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Completion rate, upper secondary education, male (modelled data) in South Africa, 1981–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for completion rate, upper secondary education, male (modelled data) in South Africa is 48.5%, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
The figure is up 0.9% on the previous year and up 9.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, completion rate, upper secondary education, male (modelled data) in South Africa peaked at 48.5% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 26.3%, in 1981.
That places South Africa 96th out of 164 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 45 years of available data.
Completion rate, upper secondary education, male (modelled data) in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 26.3% | — |
| 1982 | 26.8% | +1.8% |
| 1983 | 27.3% | +2.0% |
| 1984 | 28.0% | +2.5% |
| 1985 | 28.9% | +3.1% |
| 1986 | 29.9% | +3.5% |
| 1987 | 31.1% | +4.0% |
| 1988 | 32.6% | +4.7% |
| 1989 | 34.2% | +4.9% |
| 1990 | 35.6% | +4.1% |
| 1991 | 36.6% | +2.9% |
| 1992 | 38.0% | +3.8% |
| 1993 | 39.5% | +3.9% |
| 1994 | 40.9% | +3.6% |
| 1995 | 41.5% | +1.5% |
| 1996 | 42.0% | +1.2% |
| 1997 | 42.4% | +0.9% |
| 1998 | 42.9% | +1.1% |
| 1999 | 43.0% | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 42.8% | -0.3% |
| 2001 | 42.5% | -0.7% |
| 2002 | 42.6% | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 42.6% | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 42.7% | +0.1% |
| 2005 | 42.7% | +0.1% |
| 2006 | 42.9% | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 43.5% | +1.3% |
| 2008 | 43.8% | +0.8% |
| 2009 | 44.0% | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 44.2% | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 44.3% | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 44.7% | +1.0% |
| 2013 | 44.7% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 44.6% | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 44.2% | -0.8% |
| 2016 | 44.2% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 44.5% | +0.6% |
| 2018 | 44.9% | +0.9% |
| 2019 | 45.4% | +1.2% |
| 2020 | 46.0% | +1.1% |
| 2021 | 46.4% | +0.9% |
| 2022 | 47.0% | +1.4% |
| 2023 | 47.6% | +1.3% |
| 2024 | 48.1% | +1.1% |
| 2025 | 48.5% | +0.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 29.5% | 26.3% | 34.2% | 9 |
| 1990s | 40.2% | 35.6% | 43.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 43.0% | 42.5% | 44.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 44.6% | 44.2% | 45.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 47.3% | 46.0% | 48.5% | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More education data for South Africa
- Theoretical duration of pre-primary education (years), annual growth 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Start of the academic school year (pre-primary to post-secondary non) 0.0494 % change on previous year (2025)
- Theoretical duration of lower secondary education (years), annual 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Theoretical duration of upper secondary education (years), annual 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Theoretical duration of secondary education (years), annual growth 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Start of the academic school year (tertiary education), gaps filled 2,023 tertiary education (2023)
- Start of the academic school year (tertiary education), annual growth 0.0495 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 287,310 (2023)
- Duration of pre primary education, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Duration of pre primary education 4 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is completion rate, upper secondary education, male (modelled data) in South Africa?
- Completion rate, upper secondary education, male (modelled data) in South Africa was 48.5% in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest completion rate, upper secondary education, male (modelled data) recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 48.5% in 2025.
- What is the lowest completion rate, upper secondary education, male (modelled data) recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 26.3% in 1981.
- How does South Africa rank for completion rate, upper secondary education, male (modelled data)?
- South Africa ranks 96th out of 164 countries with data for 2025.
- Is completion rate, upper secondary education, male (modelled data) rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.7%. 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, male (modelled data) (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 45 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release