Gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, adjusted gender parity in South Africa
South Africa: Gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, adjusted gender parity was 0.9979 GPIA in 2023. ▼ Falling
Gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, adjusted gender parity in South Africa, 1989–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in GPIA.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 0.9979 GPIA for gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, adjusted gender parity in 2023.
That represents a change of down 0.4% on the previous year and down 1.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, adjusted gender parity in South Africa peaked at 1.07 GPIA in 1991 and was at its lowest, 0.9662 GPIA, in 2015.
That places South Africa 121st out of 206 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 29 years of available data.
Gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, adjusted gender parity in South Africa, year by year
| Year | GPIA | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 1.06 GPIA | — |
| 1990 | 1.07 GPIA | +0.6% |
| 1991 | 1.07 GPIA | +0.2% |
| 1994 | 1.05 GPIA | -1.6% |
| 1998 | 1.04 GPIA | -1.3% |
| 1999 | 1.04 GPIA | -0.1% |
| 2000 | 1.02 GPIA | -1.6% |
| 2001 | 1.03 GPIA | +0.5% |
| 2002 | 1.02 GPIA | -0.5% |
| 2003 | 1.02 GPIA | -0.4% |
| 2004 | 1.02 GPIA | -0.0% |
| 2005 | 1.02 GPIA | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 1.02 GPIA | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 1.02 GPIA | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 1.01 GPIA | -0.3% |
| 2009 | 1.01 GPIA | +0.2% |
| 2010 | 1.01 GPIA | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 1.01 GPIA | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 1.01 GPIA | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 1.03 GPIA | +1.3% |
| 2015 | 0.9662 GPIA | -5.8% |
| 2016 | 1.03 GPIA | +6.7% |
| 2017 | 1.01 GPIA | -2.0% |
| 2018 | 1.01 GPIA | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 1.01 GPIA | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 1.01 GPIA | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 1.01 GPIA | -0.3% |
| 2022 | 1 GPIA | -0.6% |
| 2023 | 0.9979 GPIA | -0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 1.06 GPIA | 1.06 GPIA | 1.06 GPIA | 1 |
| 1990s | 1.05 GPIA | 1.04 GPIA | 1.07 GPIA | 5 |
| 2000s | 1.02 GPIA | 1.01 GPIA | 1.03 GPIA | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.01 GPIA | 0.9662 GPIA | 1.03 GPIA | 9 |
| 2020s | 1 GPIA | 0.9979 GPIA | 1.01 GPIA | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 118 San Marino 0.999 GPIA compare
- 119 Namibia 0.9989 GPIA compare
- 120 Guatemala 0.9984 GPIA compare
- 122 Gabon 0.9977 GPIA compare
- 123 Republic of Moldova 0.9956 GPIA compare
- 124 Republic of Korea 0.9954 GPIA compare
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 secondary, adjusted gender parity in South Africa?
- Gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, adjusted gender parity in South Africa was 0.9979 GPIA in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, adjusted gender parity recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 1.07 GPIA in 1991.
- What is the lowest gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, adjusted gender parity recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.9662 GPIA in 2015.
- How does South Africa rank for gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, adjusted gender parity?
- South Africa ranks 121st out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
- Is gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, adjusted gender parity rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.4%. 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 and secondary, adjusted gender parity index (GPIA). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release