Educational attainment: at least some primary (ISCED 1), population in South Africa
South Africa: Educational attainment: at least some primary (ISCED 1), population was 0.9598 GPIA in 2024. ▲ Rising
Educational attainment: at least some primary (ISCED 1), population in South Africa, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in GPIA.
Analysis
In 2024, educational attainment: at least some primary (isced 1), population in South Africa stood at 0.9598 GPIA.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.1% on the previous year and up 2.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, educational attainment: at least some primary (isced 1), population in South Africa peaked at 0.9705 GPIA in 2021 and was at its lowest, 0.8832 GPIA, in 2001.
That places South Africa 60th out of 96 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Educational attainment: at least some primary (ISCED 1), population in South Africa, year by year
| Year | GPIA | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 0.8989 GPIA | — |
| 2001 | 0.8832 GPIA | -1.7% |
| 2002 | 0.906 GPIA | +2.6% |
| 2003 | 0.9086 GPIA | +0.3% |
| 2004 | 0.921 GPIA | +1.4% |
| 2005 | 0.9062 GPIA | -1.6% |
| 2006 | 0.9079 GPIA | +0.2% |
| 2007 | 0.9047 GPIA | -0.4% |
| 2008 | 0.9277 GPIA | +2.5% |
| 2009 | 0.9279 GPIA | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 0.9241 GPIA | -0.4% |
| 2011 | 0.946 GPIA | +2.4% |
| 2012 | 0.9266 GPIA | -2.0% |
| 2013 | 0.9311 GPIA | +0.5% |
| 2014 | 0.9356 GPIA | +0.5% |
| 2015 | 0.9432 GPIA | +0.8% |
| 2016 | 0.9362 GPIA | -0.7% |
| 2017 | 0.9536 GPIA | +1.9% |
| 2018 | 0.9341 GPIA | -2.0% |
| 2019 | 0.9438 GPIA | +1.0% |
| 2020 | 0.968 GPIA | +2.6% |
| 2021 | 0.9705 GPIA | +0.3% |
| 2022 | 0.9518 GPIA | -1.9% |
| 2023 | 0.949 GPIA | -0.3% |
| 2024 | 0.9598 GPIA | +1.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.8989 GPIA | 0.8989 GPIA | 0.8989 GPIA | 1 |
| 2000s | 0.9104 GPIA | 0.8832 GPIA | 0.9279 GPIA | 9 |
| 2010s | 0.9374 GPIA | 0.9241 GPIA | 0.9536 GPIA | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.9598 GPIA | 0.949 GPIA | 0.9705 GPIA | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More education data for South Africa
- 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)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is educational attainment: at least some primary (isced 1), population in South Africa?
- Educational attainment: at least some primary (isced 1), population in South Africa was 0.9598 GPIA in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest educational attainment: at least some primary (isced 1), population recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 0.9705 GPIA in 2021.
- What is the lowest educational attainment: at least some primary (isced 1), population recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.8832 GPIA in 2001.
- How does South Africa rank for educational attainment: at least some primary (isced 1), population?
- South Africa ranks 60th out of 96 countries with data for 2024.
- Is educational attainment: at least some primary (isced 1), population rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.6%. 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 Educational attainment: at least some primary (ISCED 1), population 25+ years, rural, adjusted gender parity index (GPIA). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release