Net enrollment rates in primary education, adjusted gender parity index in South Africa
South Africa: Net enrollment rates in primary education, adjusted gender parity index was 1 index in 2023. ▬ Flat
Net enrollment rates in primary education, adjusted gender parity index in South Africa, 1970–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in index.
Analysis
In 2023, net enrollment rates in primary education, adjusted gender parity index in South Africa stood at 1 index. That is the lowest value across all 19 years on record.
That represents a change of down 0.1% on the previous year and down 4.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, net enrollment rates in primary education, adjusted gender parity index in South Africa peaked at 1.07 index in 2021 and was at its lowest, 1 index, in 2023.
That places South Africa 81st out of 180 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
Net enrollment rates in primary education, adjusted gender parity index in South Africa, year by year
| Year | index | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 1.04 index | — |
| 1991 | 1.06 index | +1.1% |
| 1994 | 1.03 index | -2.2% |
| 1995 | 1.03 index | -0.1% |
| 1998 | 1.04 index | +1.2% |
| 1999 | 1.04 index | -0.0% |
| 2000 | 1.03 index | -1.0% |
| 2001 | 1.04 index | +0.7% |
| 2002 | 1.04 index | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 1.04 index | -0.6% |
| 2004 | 1.03 index | -0.4% |
| 2005 | 1.03 index | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 1.05 index | +2.1% |
| 2018 | 1.02 index | -3.0% |
| 2019 | 1.02 index | -0.1% |
| 2020 | 1.02 index | -0.2% |
| 2021 | 1.07 index | +5.0% |
| 2022 | 1 index | -6.2% |
| 2023 | 1 index | -0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.04 index | 1.04 index | 1.04 index | 1 |
| 1990s | 1.04 index | 1.03 index | 1.06 index | 5 |
| 2000s | 1.04 index | 1.03 index | 1.04 index | 6 |
| 2010s | 1.03 index | 1.02 index | 1.05 index | 3 |
| 2020s | 1.02 index | 1 index | 1.07 index | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More education data for South Africa
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 2.68 million (2023)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 2.97 % change on previous year (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 818,404 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 3.28 % change on previous year (2023)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 1.19 million (2023)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) -2.55 % change on previous year (2023)
- Teachers in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 225,583 (2023)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 61,727 (2023)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 748,573 (2023)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) -1.43 % change on previous year (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is net enrollment rates in primary education, adjusted gender parity index in South Africa?
- Net enrollment rates in primary education, adjusted gender parity index in South Africa was 1 index in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest net enrollment rates in primary education, adjusted gender parity index recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 1.07 index in 2021.
- What is the lowest net enrollment rates in primary education, adjusted gender parity index recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 1 index in 2023.
- How does South Africa rank for net enrollment rates in primary education, adjusted gender parity index?
- South Africa ranks 81st out of 180 countries with data for 2023.
- Is net enrollment rates in primary education, adjusted gender parity index rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Net enrollment rates in primary education, adjusted gender parity index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 19 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
An adjusted gender parity index of 1 indicates equal net enrollment rates in primary school between boys and girls. Values below 1 favor boys, and above 1 favor girls.