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

South Africa: Net enrolment rate, pre-primary, male was 18.4% in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
18.4%
Change on year
up 0.4%
World rank
160th
of 176 countries
All-time high
18.7%
in 2015
All-time low
4.6%
in 1999
Years of data
10
1998–2023

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

51015201998201020231998: 5.1 %1999: 4.6 %2000: 7.1 %2015: 18.7 %2018: 17.9 %2019: 18.5 %2020: 18.4 %2021: 18.4 %2022: 18.3 %2023: 18.4 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 18.4% for net enrolment rate, pre-primary, male in 2023.

That represents a change of up 0.4% on the previous year and down 1.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, net enrolment rate, pre-primary, male in South Africa peaked at 18.7% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 4.6%, in 1999.

South Africa ranks 160th of 176 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 10 years of available data.

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

Annual values for Net enrolment rate, pre-primary, male (%) in South Africa, 1998 to 2023.
Year % Change
1998 5.1%
1999 4.6% -10.3%
2000 7.1% +55.2%
2015 18.7% +164.1%
2018 17.9% -4.3%
2019 18.5% +2.9%
2020 18.4% -0.3%
2021 18.4% -0.3%
2022 18.3% -0.1%
2023 18.4% +0.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 4.8% 4.6% 5.1% 2
2000s 7.1% 7.1% 7.1% 1
2010s 18.4% 17.9% 18.7% 3
2020s 18.4% 18.3% 18.4% 4

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 157 Lesotho 20.3% compare
  2. 158 Botswana 19.4% compare
  3. 159 Senegal 19.4% compare
  4. 161 Angola 16.8% compare
  5. 162 Papua New Guinea 16.0% compare
  6. 163 Burundi 14.3% 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, male in South Africa?
Net enrolment rate, pre-primary, male in South Africa was 18.4% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest net enrolment rate, pre-primary, male recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 18.7% in 2015.
What is the lowest net enrolment rate, pre-primary, male recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 4.6% in 1999.
How does South Africa rank for net enrolment rate, pre-primary, male?
South Africa ranks 160th out of 176 countries with data for 2023.
Is net enrolment rate, pre-primary, male rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 1.8%. 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 Net enrolment rate, pre-primary, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Net enrolment rate, pre-primary, male in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 03 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/net-enrolment-rate-pre-primary-male-percent/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Net enrolment rate, pre-primary, male (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
383 places, 7,494 data points, 1997–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release