Gross enrolment ratio, primary, male in South Africa
South Africa: Gross enrolment ratio, primary, male was 104.3% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
104.3%
Change on year
down 0.7%
World rank
72nd
of 214 countries
All-time high
110.3%
in 2015
All-time low
78.8%
in 1986
Years of data
36
1970–2023
Gross enrolment ratio, primary, male in South Africa, 1970–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, gross enrolment ratio, primary, male in South Africa stood at 104.3%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.7% on the previous year and down 1.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gross enrolment ratio, primary, male in South Africa peaked at 110.3% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 78.8%, in 1986.
South Africa ranks 72nd of 214 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Gross enrolment ratio, primary, male in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 99.3% | — |
| 1986 | 78.8% | -20.7% |
| 1987 | 80.1% | +1.7% |
| 1988 | 80.6% | +0.6% |
| 1989 | 104.3% | +29.4% |
| 1990 | 103.7% | -0.6% |
| 1991 | 103.1% | -0.6% |
| 1994 | 103.2% | +0.1% |
| 1995 | 101.4% | -1.8% |
| 1997 | 98.6% | -2.7% |
| 1998 | 97.8% | -0.8% |
| 1999 | 97.9% | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 94.0% | -4.0% |
| 2001 | 94.2% | +0.2% |
| 2002 | 96.5% | +2.4% |
| 2003 | 97.9% | +1.4% |
| 2004 | 99.0% | +1.1% |
| 2005 | 98.7% | -0.3% |
| 2006 | 99.8% | +1.1% |
| 2007 | 102.1% | +2.3% |
| 2008 | 103.3% | +1.2% |
| 2009 | 103.6% | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 104.7% | +1.0% |
| 2011 | 105.4% | +0.7% |
| 2012 | 106.2% | +0.7% |
| 2013 | 105.6% | -0.5% |
| 2014 | 105.6% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 110.3% | +4.5% |
| 2016 | 104.8% | -5.0% |
| 2017 | 103.1% | -1.7% |
| 2018 | 102.2% | -0.9% |
| 2019 | 102.9% | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 103.6% | +0.7% |
| 2021 | 104.2% | +0.5% |
| 2022 | 105.1% | +0.9% |
| 2023 | 104.3% | -0.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 99.3% | 99.3% | 99.3% | 1 |
| 1980s | 85.9% | 78.8% | 104.3% | 4 |
| 1990s | 100.8% | 97.8% | 103.7% | 7 |
| 2000s | 98.9% | 94.0% | 103.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 105.1% | 102.2% | 110.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 104.3% | 103.6% | 105.1% | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 69 Hong Kong, China 104.7% compare
- 70 Netherlands 104.4% compare
- 71 Brazil 104.3% compare
- 73 Italy 104.1% compare
- 74 Mauritania 104.0% compare
- 75 Cape Verde 103.9% 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, male in South Africa?
- Gross enrolment ratio, primary, male in South Africa was 104.3% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest gross enrolment ratio, primary, male recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 110.3% in 2015.
- What is the lowest gross enrolment ratio, primary, male recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 78.8% in 1986.
- How does South Africa rank for gross enrolment ratio, primary, male?
- South Africa ranks 72nd out of 214 countries with data for 2023.
- Is gross enrolment ratio, primary, male rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.2%. 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, primary, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release