Gross enrolment ratio, upper secondary, male in South Africa
South Africa: Gross enrolment ratio, upper secondary, male was 97.5% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Gross enrolment ratio, upper secondary, male in South Africa, 1998–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for gross enrolment ratio, upper secondary, male in South Africa is 97.5%, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.0% on the previous year and up 19.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gross enrolment ratio, upper secondary, male in South Africa peaked at 105.8% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 62.7%, in 2001.
That places South Africa 60th out of 195 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.
Gross enrolment ratio, upper secondary, male in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 73.6% | — |
| 1999 | 69.0% | -6.2% |
| 2000 | 64.0% | -7.2% |
| 2001 | 62.7% | -2.0% |
| 2002 | 63.3% | +0.9% |
| 2003 | 69.3% | +9.5% |
| 2004 | 71.5% | +3.1% |
| 2005 | 71.9% | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 76.2% | +5.9% |
| 2007 | 81.3% | +6.8% |
| 2008 | 80.4% | -1.1% |
| 2009 | 79.6% | -1.0% |
| 2010 | 76.9% | -3.4% |
| 2011 | 79.1% | +2.8% |
| 2012 | 81.5% | +3.1% |
| 2015 | 105.8% | +29.8% |
| 2016 | 97.3% | -8.1% |
| 2017 | 99.0% | +1.8% |
| 2018 | 94.1% | -5.0% |
| 2019 | 97.1% | +3.1% |
| 2020 | 94.0% | -3.2% |
| 2021 | 100.2% | +6.6% |
| 2022 | 98.4% | -1.7% |
| 2023 | 97.5% | -1.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 71.3% | 69.0% | 73.6% | 2 |
| 2000s | 72.0% | 62.7% | 81.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 91.3% | 76.9% | 105.8% | 8 |
| 2020s | 97.5% | 94.0% | 100.2% | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 57 Indonesia 98.7% compare
- 58 Brazil 98.0% compare
- 59 Luxembourg 97.6% compare
- 61 Barbados 97.0% compare
- 62 Kazakhstan 96.8% compare
- 63 Republic of Korea 95.8% compare
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, upper secondary, male in South Africa?
- Gross enrolment ratio, upper secondary, male in South Africa was 97.5% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest gross enrolment ratio, upper secondary, male recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 105.8% in 2015.
- What is the lowest gross enrolment ratio, upper secondary, male recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 62.7% in 2001.
- How does South Africa rank for gross enrolment ratio, upper secondary, male?
- South Africa ranks 60th out of 195 countries with data for 2023.
- Is gross enrolment ratio, upper secondary, male rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 19.6%. 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, upper secondary, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release