Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number) (pre-primary male) in South Africa
South Africa: Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number) (pre-primary male) was 410,708 in 2023. ▲ Rising
Enrolment in pre-primary education, male in South Africa, 1994–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
The most recent figure for enrolment in pre-primary education, male in South Africa is 410,708, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.1% on the previous year and up 0.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, enrolment in pre-primary education, male in South Africa peaked at 435,512 in 2015 and was at its lowest, 103,736, in 1999.
That places South Africa 41st out of 208 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.
Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number) (pre-primary male) in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 144,028 | — |
| 1996 | 163,010 | +13.2% |
| 1998 | 125,500 | -23.0% |
| 1999 | 103,736 | -17.3% |
| 2000 | 160,623 | +54.8% |
| 2012 | 410,543 | +155.6% |
| 2015 | 435,512 | +6.1% |
| 2016 | 428,252 | -1.7% |
| 2017 | 435,306 | +1.6% |
| 2018 | 415,310 | -4.6% |
| 2019 | 420,995 | +1.4% |
| 2020 | 412,353 | -2.1% |
| 2021 | 400,343 | -2.9% |
| 2022 | 398,258 | -0.5% |
| 2023 | 410,708 | +3.1% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 410,708 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 86,586, 4.7× the median. (56 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 410,708 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 85,708, 4.8× the median. (43 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number) (pre-primary male) in South Africa changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | +155.6% | 160,623 | 410,543 |
| 2000 | +54.8% | 103,736 | 160,623 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 134,068 | 103,736 | 163,010 | 4 |
| 2000s | 160,623 | 160,623 | 160,623 | 1 |
| 2010s | 424,320 | 410,543 | 435,512 | 6 |
| 2020s | 405,416 | 398,258 | 412,353 | 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, male in South Africa?
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male in South Africa was 410,708 in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest enrolment in pre-primary education, male recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 435,512 in 2015.
- What is the lowest enrolment in pre-primary education, male recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 103,736 in 1999.
- How does South Africa rank for enrolment in pre-primary education, male?
- South Africa ranks 41st out of 208 countries with data for 2023.
- Is enrolment in pre-primary education, male rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.0%. 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, male (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release