Gross enrolment ratio, lower secondary, both sexes in South Africa

South Africa: Gross enrolment ratio, lower secondary, both sexes was 101.4% in 2018. ▲ Rising

Latest (2018)
101.4%
Change on year
down 1.3%
World rank
70th
of 188 countries
All-time high
107.4%
in 2012
All-time low
87.4%
in 2003
Years of data
19
1998–2018

Gross enrolment ratio, lower secondary, both sexes in South Africa, 1998–2018

02550751001998200820181998: 94.3 %1999: 93.9 %2000: 91.5 %2001: 93.3 %2002: 94.2 %2003: 87.4 %2004: 90.4 %2005: 94.4 %2006: 96.2 %2007: 92.7 %2008: 91.2 %2009: 96.8 %2010: 102.5 %2011: 106.1 %2012: 107.4 %2015: 105.9 %2016: 103.1 %2017: 102.7 %2018: 101.4 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 101.4% for gross enrolment ratio, lower secondary, both sexes in 2018.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.3% on the previous year and up 11.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, gross enrolment ratio, lower secondary, both sexes in South Africa peaked at 107.4% in 2012 and was at its lowest, 87.4%, in 2003.

South Africa ranks 70th of 188 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 19 years of available data.

Gross enrolment ratio, lower secondary, both sexes in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Gross enrolment ratio, lower secondary, both sexes (%) in South Africa, 1998 to 2018.
Year % Change
1998 94.3%
1999 93.9% -0.4%
2000 91.5% -2.5%
2001 93.3% +1.9%
2002 94.2% +1.1%
2003 87.4% -7.3%
2004 90.4% +3.4%
2005 94.4% +4.4%
2006 96.2% +1.9%
2007 92.7% -3.7%
2008 91.2% -1.6%
2009 96.8% +6.1%
2010 102.5% +6.0%
2011 106.1% +3.4%
2012 107.4% +1.2%
2015 105.9% -1.3%
2016 103.1% -2.7%
2017 102.7% -0.4%
2018 101.4% -1.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 94.1% 93.9% 94.3% 2
2000s 92.8% 87.4% 96.8% 10
2010s 104.1% 101.4% 107.4% 7

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 67 Kyrgyzstan 101.8% compare
  2. 68 Greece 101.4% compare
  3. 69 France 101.4% compare
  4. 71 Russian Federation 101.3% compare
  5. 72 Hungary 101.2% compare
  6. 73 Cyprus 101.1% compare

See the full ranking of 233 places →

More education data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is gross enrolment ratio, lower secondary, both sexes in South Africa?
Gross enrolment ratio, lower secondary, both sexes in South Africa was 101.4% in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest gross enrolment ratio, lower secondary, both sexes recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 107.4% in 2012.
What is the lowest gross enrolment ratio, lower secondary, both sexes recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 87.4% in 2003.
How does South Africa rank for gross enrolment ratio, lower secondary, both sexes?
South Africa ranks 70th out of 188 countries with data for 2018.
Is gross enrolment ratio, lower secondary, both sexes rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 11.2%. 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 Gross enrolment ratio, lower secondary, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Gross enrolment ratio, lower secondary, both sexes in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 07 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/gross-enrolment-ratio-lower-secondary-both-sexes-percent/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Gross enrolment ratio, lower secondary, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
233 places, 4,679 data points, 1981–2020
Last refreshed

Total enrollment in lower secondary education, regardless of age, expressed as a percentage of the total population of official lower secondary education age. GER can exceed 100% due to the inclusion of over-aged and under-aged students because of early or late school entrance and grade repetition.