Gross enrolment ratio, primary and lower secondary, adjusted gender in South Africa
South Africa: Gross enrolment ratio, primary and lower secondary, adjusted gender was 0.9543 GPIA in 2023. ▬ Flat
Gross enrolment ratio, primary and lower secondary, adjusted gender in South Africa, 1998–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in GPIA.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 0.9543 GPIA for gross enrolment ratio, primary and lower secondary, adjusted gender in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 24 years on record.
The figure is down 0.2% on the previous year and down 2.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gross enrolment ratio, primary and lower secondary, adjusted gender in South Africa peaked at 1.01 GPIA in 1998 and was at its lowest, 0.9543 GPIA, in 2023.
South Africa ranks 176th of 199 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
Gross enrolment ratio, primary and lower secondary, adjusted gender in South Africa, year by year
| Year | GPIA | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 1.01 GPIA | — |
| 1999 | 1.01 GPIA | -0.3% |
| 2000 | 0.9917 GPIA | -1.9% |
| 2001 | 1 GPIA | +0.9% |
| 2002 | 1 GPIA | -0.1% |
| 2003 | 0.9982 GPIA | -0.2% |
| 2004 | 0.9953 GPIA | -0.3% |
| 2005 | 0.9923 GPIA | -0.3% |
| 2006 | 0.9892 GPIA | -0.3% |
| 2007 | 0.9873 GPIA | -0.2% |
| 2008 | 0.9868 GPIA | -0.1% |
| 2009 | 0.9901 GPIA | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 0.9872 GPIA | -0.3% |
| 2011 | 0.9822 GPIA | -0.5% |
| 2012 | 0.9794 GPIA | -0.3% |
| 2015 | 0.961 GPIA | -1.9% |
| 2016 | 0.9977 GPIA | +3.8% |
| 2017 | 0.9911 GPIA | -0.7% |
| 2018 | 0.983 GPIA | -0.8% |
| 2019 | 0.9762 GPIA | -0.7% |
| 2020 | 0.9665 GPIA | -1.0% |
| 2021 | 0.9621 GPIA | -0.5% |
| 2022 | 0.9563 GPIA | -0.6% |
| 2023 | 0.9543 GPIA | -0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.01 GPIA | 1.01 GPIA | 1.01 GPIA | 2 |
| 2000s | 0.9932 GPIA | 0.9868 GPIA | 1 GPIA | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.9822 GPIA | 0.961 GPIA | 0.9977 GPIA | 8 |
| 2020s | 0.9598 GPIA | 0.9543 GPIA | 0.9665 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 and lower secondary, adjusted gender in South Africa?
- Gross enrolment ratio, primary and lower secondary, adjusted gender in South Africa was 0.9543 GPIA in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest gross enrolment ratio, primary and lower secondary, adjusted gender recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 1.01 GPIA in 1998.
- What is the lowest gross enrolment ratio, primary and lower secondary, adjusted gender recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.9543 GPIA in 2023.
- How does South Africa rank for gross enrolment ratio, primary and lower secondary, adjusted gender?
- South Africa ranks 176th out of 199 countries with data for 2023.
- Is gross enrolment ratio, primary and lower secondary, adjusted gender rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Gross enrolment ratio, primary and lower secondary, adjusted gender parity index (GPIA). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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