Gross intake ratio to the last grade of lower secondary general in South Africa
South Africa: Gross intake ratio to the last grade of lower secondary general was 1.07 GPIA in 2023. ▼ Falling
Gross intake ratio to the last grade of lower secondary general in South Africa, 1991–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in GPIA.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 1.07 GPIA for gross intake ratio to the last grade of lower secondary general in 2023.
That represents a change of down 0.6% on the previous year and down 1.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, gross intake ratio to the last grade of lower secondary general in South Africa peaked at 1.2 GPIA in 1991 and was at its lowest, 1.03 GPIA, in 2021.
That places South Africa 55th out of 192 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 12 years of available data.
Gross intake ratio to the last grade of lower secondary general in South Africa, year by year
| Year | GPIA | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 1.2 GPIA | — |
| 2000 | 1.12 GPIA | -6.1% |
| 2002 | 1.06 GPIA | -5.3% |
| 2003 | 1.1 GPIA | +3.0% |
| 2004 | 1.1 GPIA | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 1.09 GPIA | -1.0% |
| 2018 | 1.09 GPIA | +0.7% |
| 2019 | 1.09 GPIA | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 1.11 GPIA | +1.2% |
| 2021 | 1.03 GPIA | -7.0% |
| 2022 | 1.07 GPIA | +4.3% |
| 2023 | 1.07 GPIA | -0.6% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 1.07 GPIA is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.04 GPIA, 1.0× the median. (55 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 1.07 GPIA is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.02 GPIA, 1.0× the median. (45 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.2 GPIA | 1.2 GPIA | 1.2 GPIA | 1 |
| 2000s | 1.1 GPIA | 1.06 GPIA | 1.12 GPIA | 4 |
| 2010s | 1.09 GPIA | 1.09 GPIA | 1.09 GPIA | 3 |
| 2020s | 1.07 GPIA | 1.03 GPIA | 1.11 GPIA | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 52 Trinidad and Tobago 1.07 GPIA compare
- 53 Zimbabwe 1.07 GPIA compare
- 54 Solomon Islands 1.07 GPIA compare
- 56 Malaysia 1.07 GPIA compare
- 57 United Arab Emirates 1.07 GPIA compare
- 58 Mauritius 1.07 GPIA 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 intake ratio to the last grade of lower secondary general in South Africa?
- Gross intake ratio to the last grade of lower secondary general in South Africa was 1.07 GPIA in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest gross intake ratio to the last grade of lower secondary general recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 1.2 GPIA in 1991.
- What is the lowest gross intake ratio to the last grade of lower secondary general recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.03 GPIA in 2021.
- How does South Africa rank for gross intake ratio to the last grade of lower secondary general?
- South Africa ranks 55th out of 192 countries with data for 2023.
- Is gross intake ratio to the last grade of lower secondary general rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Gross intake ratio to the last grade of lower secondary general education, adjusted gender parity index (GPIA). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 12 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release