Educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher in South Africa
South Africa: Educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher was 81.9% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher in South Africa, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher in South Africa is 81.9%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is up 3.3% on the previous year and up 20.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher in South Africa peaked at 81.9% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 16.1%, in 1970.
That places South Africa 60th out of 100 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 rate, completed primary education or higher in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 16.1% | — |
| 2001 | 42.9% | +166.9% |
| 2002 | 50.9% | +18.8% |
| 2003 | 54.0% | +6.0% |
| 2004 | 54.1% | +0.2% |
| 2005 | 55.1% | +1.8% |
| 2006 | 55.8% | +1.3% |
| 2007 | 58.4% | +4.7% |
| 2008 | 57.5% | -1.6% |
| 2009 | 63.9% | +11.2% |
| 2010 | 63.9% | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 63.9% | -0.1% |
| 2012 | 68.3% | +6.8% |
| 2013 | 66.9% | -2.0% |
| 2014 | 67.8% | +1.3% |
| 2015 | 70.1% | +3.4% |
| 2016 | 72.6% | +3.6% |
| 2017 | 76.8% | +5.8% |
| 2018 | 74.1% | -3.5% |
| 2019 | 75.2% | +1.5% |
| 2020 | 80.0% | +6.3% |
| 2021 | 80.3% | +0.5% |
| 2022 | 78.5% | -2.2% |
| 2023 | 79.3% | +1.0% |
| 2024 | 81.9% | +3.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 16.1% | 16.1% | 16.1% | 1 |
| 2000s | 54.7% | 42.9% | 63.9% | 9 |
| 2010s | 70.0% | 63.9% | 76.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 80.0% | 78.5% | 81.9% | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More education data for South Africa
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 5.50 million (2023)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 2.22 % change on previous year (2023)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 287,310 (2023)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 13.45 % change on previous year (2015)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 2.82 million (2023)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.53 % change on previous year (2023)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 2.68 million (2023)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 2.97 % change on previous year (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 818,404 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 3.28 % change on previous year (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher in South Africa?
- Educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher in South Africa was 81.9% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 81.9% in 2024.
- What is the lowest educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.1% in 1970.
- How does South Africa rank for educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher?
- South Africa ranks 60th out of 100 countries with data for 2024.
- Is educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 20.9%. 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 rate, completed primary education or higher, population 25+ years, rural, male (%). 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