Lower secondary completion rate, female in South Africa
South Africa: Lower secondary completion rate, female was 91.4% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Lower secondary completion rate, female in South Africa, 1991–2023
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of relevant age group.
Analysis
In 2023, lower secondary completion rate, female in South Africa stood at 91.4%.
The figure is up 1.3% on the previous year and up 8.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, lower secondary completion rate, female in South Africa peaked at 95.2% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 62.5%, in 1991.
That places South Africa 91st out of 187 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 12 years of available data.
Lower secondary completion rate, female in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % of relevant age group | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 62.5% | — |
| 2000 | 68.0% | +8.8% |
| 2002 | 82.9% | +21.9% |
| 2003 | 73.5% | -11.3% |
| 2004 | 71.6% | -2.6% |
| 2016 | 84.2% | +17.5% |
| 2018 | 86.9% | +3.2% |
| 2019 | 87.2% | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 91.6% | +5.0% |
| 2021 | 95.2% | +3.9% |
| 2022 | 90.3% | -5.2% |
| 2023 | 91.4% | +1.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 62.5% | 62.5% | 62.5% | 1 |
| 2000s | 74.0% | 68.0% | 82.9% | 4 |
| 2010s | 86.1% | 84.2% | 87.2% | 3 |
| 2020s | 92.1% | 90.3% | 95.2% | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More education data for South Africa
- 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)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), per capita 0.119 units per person (2023)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 3.65 million (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is lower secondary completion rate, female in South Africa?
- Lower secondary completion rate, female in South Africa was 91.4% in 2023, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest lower secondary completion rate, female recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 95.2% in 2021.
- What is the lowest lower secondary completion rate, female recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 62.5% in 1991.
- How does South Africa rank for lower secondary completion rate, female?
- South Africa ranks 91st out of 187 countries with data for 2023.
- Is lower secondary completion rate, female rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Lower secondary completion rate, female (% of relevant age group). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Lower secondary education completion rate is measured as the gross intake ratio to the last grade of lower secondary education (general and pre-vocational). It is calculated as the number of new entrants in the last grade of lower secondary education, regardless of age, divided by the population at the entrance age for the last grade of lower secondary education.