Enrolment in pre-primary education, male in South Africa

South Africa: Enrolment in pre-primary education, male was 410,708 in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
410,708
Change on year
up 3.1%
World rank
41st
of 208 countries
All-time high
435,512
in 2015
All-time low
103,736
in 1999
Years of data
15
1994–2023

Enrolment in pre-primary education, male in South Africa, 1994–2023

100.0k200.0k300.0k400.0k1994200820231994: 144.0k1996: 163.0k1998: 125.5k1999: 103.7k2000: 160.6k2012: 410.5k2015: 435.5k2016: 428.3k2017: 435.3k2018: 415.3k2019: 421.0k2020: 412.4k2021: 400.3k2022: 398.3k2023: 410.7k

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 in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number) in South Africa, 1994 to 2023.
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%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest 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

  1. 38 Morocco 460,392 compare
  2. 39 Republic of Korea 434,627 compare
  3. 40 Angola 422,807 compare
  4. 42 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 410,532 compare
  5. 43 Ukraine 390,498 compare
  6. 44 Guatemala 335,306 compare

See the full ranking of 429 places →

More education data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

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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Enrolment in pre-primary education, male in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 04 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/enrolment-in-pre-primary-education-male-number-2/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number)
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
429 places, 16,896 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release