Gross enrolment ratio, primary to tertiary, both sexes in South Africa
South Africa: Gross enrolment ratio, primary to tertiary, both sexes was 81.9% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Gross enrolment ratio, primary to tertiary, both sexes in South Africa, 1989–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 81.9% for gross enrolment ratio, primary to tertiary, both sexes in 2023. That is the highest value across all 17 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.1% on the previous year and up 9.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gross enrolment ratio, primary to tertiary, both sexes in South Africa peaked at 81.9% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 68.8%, in 1989.
South Africa ranks 95th of 193 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 17 years of available data.
Gross enrolment ratio, primary to tertiary, both sexes in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 68.8% | — |
| 1990 | 69.8% | +1.3% |
| 1991 | 71.1% | +1.9% |
| 1994 | 76.9% | +8.2% |
| 1998 | 73.5% | -4.5% |
| 1999 | 72.1% | -1.8% |
| 2012 | 74.5% | +3.2% |
| 2014 | 78.2% | +5.0% |
| 2015 | 80.9% | +3.4% |
| 2016 | 79.5% | -1.7% |
| 2017 | 79.9% | +0.4% |
| 2018 | 79.4% | -0.5% |
| 2019 | 80.5% | +1.4% |
| 2020 | 79.9% | -0.7% |
| 2021 | 81.6% | +2.1% |
| 2022 | 81.8% | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 81.9% | +0.1% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 81.9% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 83.0%, 99% of the median. (53 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 81.9% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 61.8%, 1.3× the median. (43 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 68.8% | 68.8% | 68.8% | 1 |
| 1990s | 72.7% | 69.8% | 76.9% | 5 |
| 2010s | 79.0% | 74.5% | 80.9% | 7 |
| 2020s | 81.3% | 79.9% | 81.9% | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 92 Indonesia 82.6% compare
- 93 North Macedonia 82.2% compare
- 94 Oman 81.9% compare
- 96 Azerbaijan 81.8% compare
- 97 Trinidad and Tobago 81.3% compare
- 98 Mauritius 81.2% 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 to tertiary, both sexes in South Africa?
- Gross enrolment ratio, primary to tertiary, both sexes in South Africa was 81.9% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest gross enrolment ratio, primary to tertiary, both sexes recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 81.9% in 2023.
- What is the lowest gross enrolment ratio, primary to tertiary, both sexes recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 68.8% in 1989.
- How does South Africa rank for gross enrolment ratio, primary to tertiary, both sexes?
- South Africa ranks 95th out of 193 countries with data for 2023.
- Is gross enrolment ratio, primary to tertiary, both sexes rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.9%. 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 to tertiary, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 17 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release