Net enrolment rate, pre-primary, female in South Africa

South Africa: Net enrolment rate, pre-primary, female was 18.4% in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
18.4%
Change on year
up 0.5%
World rank
160th
of 176 countries
All-time high
18.8%
in 2020
All-time low
4.7%
in 1999
Years of data
10
1998–2023

Net enrolment rate, pre-primary, female in South Africa, 1998–2023

51015201998201020231998: 5 %1999: 4.7 %2000: 7.3 %2015: 6.3 %2018: 18.3 %2019: 18.8 %2020: 18.8 %2021: 7.4 %2022: 18.3 %2023: 18.4 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for net enrolment rate, pre-primary, female in South Africa is 18.4%, measured in 2023.

That represents a change of up 0.5% on the previous year and up 194.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, net enrolment rate, pre-primary, female in South Africa peaked at 18.8% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 4.7%, in 1999.

That places South Africa 160th out of 176 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Net enrolment rate, pre-primary, female in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Net enrolment rate, pre-primary, female (%) in South Africa, 1998 to 2023.
Year % Change
1998 5.0%
1999 4.7% -5.8%
2000 7.3% +54.7%
2015 6.3% -14.4%
2018 18.3% +191.8%
2019 18.8% +2.7%
2020 18.8% +0.2%
2021 7.4% -60.7%
2022 18.3% +148.4%
2023 18.4% +0.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 4.9% 4.7% 5.0% 2
2000s 7.3% 7.3% 7.3% 1
2010s 14.4% 6.3% 18.8% 3
2020s 15.7% 7.4% 18.8% 4

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 157 Lesotho 20.9% compare
  2. 158 Tokelau 20.0% compare
  3. 159 Botswana 19.9% compare
  4. 161 Angola 16.7% compare
  5. 162 Papua New Guinea 16.0% compare
  6. 163 Burundi 14.9% compare

See the full ranking of 383 places →

More education data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is net enrolment rate, pre-primary, female in South Africa?
Net enrolment rate, pre-primary, female in South Africa was 18.4% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest net enrolment rate, pre-primary, female recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 18.8% in 2020.
What is the lowest net enrolment rate, pre-primary, female recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 4.7% in 1999.
How does South Africa rank for net enrolment rate, pre-primary, female?
South Africa ranks 160th out of 176 countries with data for 2023.
Is net enrolment rate, pre-primary, female rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 194.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Net enrolment rate, pre-primary, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 10 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Net enrolment rate, pre-primary, female in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 02 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/net-enrolment-rate-pre-primary-female-percent/south-africa/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://education.statizoid.com/stat/net-enrolment-rate-pre-primary-female-percent/south-africa/">Net enrolment rate, pre-primary, female in South Africa</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Net enrolment rate, pre-primary, female (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
383 places, 7,501 data points, 1997–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release