Gross enrolment ratio, secondary, female in South Africa
South Africa: Gross enrolment ratio, secondary, female was 107.5% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Gross enrolment ratio, secondary, female in South Africa, 1989–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 107.5% for gross enrolment ratio, secondary, female in 2023.
That represents a change of down 1.1% on the previous year and up 12.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gross enrolment ratio, secondary, female in South Africa peaked at 111.1% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 69.6%, in 1989.
South Africa ranks 37th of 212 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 29 years of available data.
Gross enrolment ratio, secondary, female in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 69.6% | — |
| 1990 | 74.7% | +7.2% |
| 1991 | 80.2% | +7.5% |
| 1994 | 96.0% | +19.6% |
| 1998 | 88.2% | -8.1% |
| 1999 | 84.5% | -4.3% |
| 2000 | 78.8% | -6.7% |
| 2001 | 78.0% | -1.0% |
| 2002 | 77.8% | -0.3% |
| 2003 | 78.7% | +1.1% |
| 2004 | 81.7% | +3.8% |
| 2005 | 83.7% | +2.4% |
| 2006 | 87.0% | +4.0% |
| 2007 | 88.4% | +1.6% |
| 2008 | 86.6% | -2.1% |
| 2009 | 88.9% | +2.7% |
| 2010 | 89.8% | +1.0% |
| 2011 | 92.0% | +2.5% |
| 2012 | 95.4% | +3.7% |
| 2014 | 106.2% | +11.3% |
| 2015 | 104.5% | -1.6% |
| 2016 | 109.7% | +4.9% |
| 2017 | 110.6% | +0.9% |
| 2018 | 105.5% | -4.6% |
| 2019 | 107.6% | +1.9% |
| 2020 | 108.5% | +0.8% |
| 2021 | 111.1% | +2.4% |
| 2022 | 108.7% | -2.2% |
| 2023 | 107.5% | -1.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 69.6% | 69.6% | 69.6% | 1 |
| 1990s | 84.7% | 74.7% | 96.0% | 5 |
| 2000s | 82.9% | 77.8% | 88.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 102.4% | 89.8% | 110.6% | 9 |
| 2020s | 108.9% | 107.5% | 111.1% | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More education data for South Africa
- 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)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 7.52 million (2023)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth -1.44 % change on previous year (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gross enrolment ratio, secondary, female in South Africa?
- Gross enrolment ratio, secondary, female in South Africa was 107.5% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest gross enrolment ratio, secondary, female recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 111.1% in 2021.
- What is the lowest gross enrolment ratio, secondary, female recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 69.6% in 1989.
- How does South Africa rank for gross enrolment ratio, secondary, female?
- South Africa ranks 37th out of 212 countries with data for 2023.
- Is gross enrolment ratio, secondary, female rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.6%. 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, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release