Gross enrolment ratio, primary, adjusted gender parity index in South Africa
South Africa: Gross enrolment ratio, primary, adjusted gender parity index was 0.9511 GPIA in 2023. ▼ Falling
Gross enrolment ratio, primary, adjusted gender parity index in South Africa, 1970–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in GPIA.
Analysis
The most recent figure for gross enrolment ratio, primary, adjusted gender parity index in South Africa is 0.9511 GPIA, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.3% on the previous year and down 2.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gross enrolment ratio, primary, adjusted gender parity index in South Africa peaked at 1.02 GPIA in 1989 and was at its lowest, 0.9442 GPIA, in 2015.
That places South Africa 185th out of 214 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.
Gross enrolment ratio, primary, adjusted gender parity index in South Africa, year by year
| Year | GPIA | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 1.02 GPIA | — |
| 1986 | 1.01 GPIA | -0.9% |
| 1987 | 1.01 GPIA | -0.1% |
| 1988 | 1.01 GPIA | -0.0% |
| 1989 | 1.02 GPIA | +1.2% |
| 1990 | 1.02 GPIA | -0.0% |
| 1991 | 1.02 GPIA | -0.2% |
| 1994 | 0.987 GPIA | -2.8% |
| 1995 | 0.9997 GPIA | +1.3% |
| 1997 | 0.9922 GPIA | -0.8% |
| 1998 | 0.9928 GPIA | +0.1% |
| 1999 | 0.9895 GPIA | -0.3% |
| 2000 | 0.9692 GPIA | -2.1% |
| 2001 | 0.9814 GPIA | +1.3% |
| 2002 | 0.9835 GPIA | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 0.9805 GPIA | -0.3% |
| 2004 | 0.9765 GPIA | -0.4% |
| 2005 | 0.977 GPIA | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 0.9765 GPIA | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 0.982 GPIA | +0.6% |
| 2008 | 0.9826 GPIA | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 0.9796 GPIA | -0.3% |
| 2010 | 0.9761 GPIA | -0.4% |
| 2011 | 0.9734 GPIA | -0.3% |
| 2012 | 0.9723 GPIA | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 0.9709 GPIA | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 0.9729 GPIA | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 0.9442 GPIA | -2.9% |
| 2016 | 0.9726 GPIA | +3.0% |
| 2017 | 0.971 GPIA | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 0.9657 GPIA | -0.5% |
| 2019 | 0.965 GPIA | -0.1% |
| 2020 | 0.9549 GPIA | -1.0% |
| 2021 | 0.9533 GPIA | -0.2% |
| 2022 | 0.9485 GPIA | -0.5% |
| 2023 | 0.9511 GPIA | +0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.02 GPIA | 1.02 GPIA | 1.02 GPIA | 1 |
| 1980s | 1.01 GPIA | 1.01 GPIA | 1.02 GPIA | 4 |
| 1990s | 0.9994 GPIA | 0.987 GPIA | 1.02 GPIA | 7 |
| 2000s | 0.9789 GPIA | 0.9692 GPIA | 0.9835 GPIA | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.9684 GPIA | 0.9442 GPIA | 0.9761 GPIA | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.952 GPIA | 0.9485 GPIA | 0.9549 GPIA | 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 gross enrolment ratio, primary, adjusted gender parity index in South Africa?
- Gross enrolment ratio, primary, adjusted gender parity index in South Africa was 0.9511 GPIA in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest gross enrolment ratio, primary, adjusted gender parity index recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 1.02 GPIA in 1989.
- What is the lowest gross enrolment ratio, primary, adjusted gender parity index recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.9442 GPIA in 2015.
- How does South Africa rank for gross enrolment ratio, primary, adjusted gender parity index?
- South Africa ranks 185th out of 214 countries with data for 2023.
- Is gross enrolment ratio, primary, adjusted gender parity index rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Gross enrolment ratio, primary, adjusted gender parity index (GPIA). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release