Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes in South Africa
South Africa: Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes was 818,404 in 2023. ▲ Rising
Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes in South Africa, 1994–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 818,404 for enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes in 2023.
That represents a change of up 3.3% on the previous year and down 0.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes in South Africa peaked at 862,553 in 2015 and was at its lowest, 207,123, in 1999.
That places South Africa 42nd out of 214 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 19 years of available data.
Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 286,663 | — |
| 1996 | 329,070 | +14.8% |
| 1998 | 248,469 | -24.5% |
| 1999 | 207,123 | -16.6% |
| 2000 | 320,637 | +54.8% |
| 2010 | 756,822 | +136.0% |
| 2011 | 753,131 | -0.5% |
| 2012 | 815,935 | +8.3% |
| 2013 | 822,731 | +0.8% |
| 2014 | 856,764 | +4.1% |
| 2015 | 862,553 | +0.7% |
| 2016 | 847,064 | -1.8% |
| 2017 | 862,195 | +1.8% |
| 2018 | 824,169 | -4.4% |
| 2019 | 835,827 | +1.4% |
| 2020 | 821,819 | -1.7% |
| 2021 | 798,777 | -2.8% |
| 2022 | 792,383 | -0.8% |
| 2023 | 818,404 | +3.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 267,831 | 207,123 | 329,070 | 4 |
| 2000s | 320,637 | 320,637 | 320,637 | 1 |
| 2010s | 823,719 | 753,131 | 862,553 | 10 |
| 2020s | 807,846 | 792,383 | 821,819 | 4 |
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 enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes in South Africa?
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes in South Africa was 818,404 in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 862,553 in 2015.
- What is the lowest enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 207,123 in 1999.
- How does South Africa rank for enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes?
- South Africa ranks 42nd out of 214 countries with data for 2023.
- Is enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.5%. 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 Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 19 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release