Enrolment in upper secondary education, female in South Africa
South Africa: Enrolment in upper secondary education, female was 1.72 million in 2023. ▲ Rising
Enrolment in upper secondary education, female in South Africa, 1998–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 1.72 million for enrolment in upper secondary education, female in 2023. That is the highest value across all 24 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.6% on the previous year and up 18.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, enrolment in upper secondary education, female in South Africa peaked at 1.72 million in 2023 and was at its lowest, 1.18 million, in 2000.
That places South Africa 16th out of 196 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.
Enrolment in upper secondary education, female in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 1.25 million | — |
| 1999 | 1.23 million | -1.7% |
| 2000 | 1.18 million | -4.1% |
| 2001 | 1.20 million | +1.4% |
| 2002 | 1.22 million | +1.5% |
| 2003 | 1.33 million | +9.2% |
| 2004 | 1.38 million | +4.1% |
| 2005 | 1.39 million | +0.4% |
| 2006 | 1.45 million | +4.7% |
| 2007 | 1.52 million | +4.6% |
| 2008 | 1.47 million | -3.4% |
| 2009 | 1.43 million | -2.6% |
| 2010 | 1.39 million | -2.7% |
| 2011 | 1.41 million | +0.9% |
| 2012 | 1.45 million | +3.3% |
| 2015 | 1.59 million | +9.5% |
| 2016 | 1.67 million | +5.2% |
| 2017 | 1.61 million | -3.7% |
| 2018 | 1.50 million | -6.7% |
| 2019 | 1.55 million | +3.1% |
| 2020 | 1.57 million | +1.5% |
| 2021 | 1.68 million | +7.2% |
| 2022 | 1.69 million | +0.5% |
| 2023 | 1.72 million | +1.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.24 million | 1.23 million | 1.25 million | 2 |
| 2000s | 1.36 million | 1.18 million | 1.52 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.52 million | 1.39 million | 1.67 million | 8 |
| 2020s | 1.67 million | 1.57 million | 1.72 million | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 13 Kenya 2.02 million compare
- 14 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 1.78 million compare
- 15 Viet Nam 1.74 million compare
- 17 Japan 1.63 million compare
- 18 Democratic Republic of Congo 1.50 million compare
- 19 Iran, Islamic Republic of 1.45 million compare
More education data for South Africa
- 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)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 7.52 million (2023)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth -1.44 % change on previous year (2023)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), per capita 0.119 units per person (2023)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 3.65 million (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is enrolment in upper secondary education, female in South Africa?
- Enrolment in upper secondary education, female in South Africa was 1.72 million in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest enrolment in upper secondary education, female recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 1.72 million in 2023.
- What is the lowest enrolment in upper secondary education, female recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.18 million in 2000.
- How does South Africa rank for enrolment in upper secondary education, female?
- South Africa ranks 16th out of 196 countries with data for 2023.
- Is enrolment in upper secondary education, female rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 18.4%. 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 upper secondary education, female (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release