Gross enrolment ratio, secondary, both sexes in South Africa
South Africa: Gross enrolment ratio, secondary, both sexes was 104.1% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Gross enrolment ratio, secondary, both sexes in South Africa, 1989–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 104.1% for gross enrolment ratio, secondary, both sexes in 2023.
The figure is down 0.4% on the previous year and up 13.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gross enrolment ratio, secondary, both sexes in South Africa peaked at 106.4% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 63.8%, in 1989.
That places South Africa 48th out of 213 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 29 years of available data.
Gross enrolment ratio, secondary, both sexes in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 63.8% | — |
| 1990 | 67.8% | +6.2% |
| 1991 | 72.5% | +6.9% |
| 1994 | 87.0% | +20.0% |
| 1998 | 82.8% | -4.9% |
| 1999 | 79.1% | -4.4% |
| 2000 | 74.3% | -6.0% |
| 2001 | 73.9% | -0.5% |
| 2002 | 74.4% | +0.7% |
| 2003 | 75.5% | +1.5% |
| 2004 | 78.3% | +3.7% |
| 2005 | 80.4% | +2.7% |
| 2006 | 83.8% | +4.2% |
| 2007 | 85.5% | +2.1% |
| 2008 | 84.0% | -1.7% |
| 2009 | 86.0% | +2.3% |
| 2010 | 86.6% | +0.7% |
| 2011 | 88.9% | +2.7% |
| 2012 | 92.2% | +3.6% |
| 2014 | 101.2% | +9.8% |
| 2015 | 104.6% | +3.4% |
| 2016 | 103.9% | -0.7% |
| 2017 | 105.6% | +1.7% |
| 2018 | 101.4% | -4.0% |
| 2019 | 103.8% | +2.4% |
| 2020 | 103.5% | -0.3% |
| 2021 | 106.4% | +2.8% |
| 2022 | 104.5% | -1.8% |
| 2023 | 104.1% | -0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 63.8% | 63.8% | 63.8% | 1 |
| 1990s | 77.8% | 67.8% | 87.0% | 5 |
| 2000s | 79.6% | 73.9% | 86.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 98.7% | 86.6% | 105.6% | 9 |
| 2020s | 104.7% | 103.5% | 106.4% | 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, secondary, both sexes in South Africa?
- Gross enrolment ratio, secondary, both sexes in South Africa was 104.1% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest gross enrolment ratio, secondary, both sexes recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 106.4% in 2021.
- What is the lowest gross enrolment ratio, secondary, both sexes recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 63.8% in 1989.
- How does South Africa rank for gross enrolment ratio, secondary, both sexes?
- South Africa ranks 48th out of 213 countries with data for 2023.
- Is gross enrolment ratio, secondary, both sexes rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 13.0%. 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, secondary, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 29 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release