Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age, male in South Africa

South Africa: Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age, male was 15.5% in 2018. ▲ Rising

Latest (2018)
15.5%
Change on year
down 4.9%
World rank
37th
of 134 countries
All-time high
17.1%
in 2001
All-time low
9.7%
in 2005
Years of data
10
1994–2018

Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age, male in South Africa, 1994–2018

0510151994200620181994: 15 %1999: 14.4 %2000: 15.3 %2001: 17.1 %2002: 15.4 %2003: 13.8 %2004: 11.4 %2005: 9.7 %2017: 16.3 %2018: 15.5 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age, male in South Africa is 15.5%, measured in 2018.

The figure is down 4.9% on the previous year and up 60.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age, male in South Africa peaked at 17.1% in 2001 and was at its lowest, 9.7%, in 2005.

South Africa ranks 37th of 134 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

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

Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age, male in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age, male (%) in South Africa, 1994 to 2018.
Year % Change
1994 15.0%
1999 14.4% -3.9%
2000 15.3% +6.7%
2001 17.1% +11.2%
2002 15.4% -10.0%
2003 13.8% -10.0%
2004 11.4% -17.4%
2005 9.7% -15.2%
2017 16.3% +68.5%
2018 15.5% -4.9%

South Africa compared with similar countries

  • South Africa's 15.5% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 8.1%, 1.9× the median. (37 countries reporting)
  • South Africa's 15.5% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 26.1%, 59% of the median. (26 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 14.7% 14.4% 15.0% 2
2000s 13.8% 9.7% 17.1% 6
2010s 15.9% 15.5% 16.3% 2

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 34 Suriname 18.6% compare
  2. 35 Bhutan 18.0% compare
  3. 36 El Salvador 16.8% compare
  4. 38 Togo 15.3% compare
  5. 39 Venezuela 14.9% compare
  6. 40 Moldova 14.6% compare

See the full ranking of 179 places →

More education data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age, male in South Africa?
Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age, male in South Africa was 15.5% in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age, male recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 17.1% in 2001.
What is the lowest out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age, male recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 9.7% in 2005.
How does South Africa rank for out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age, male?
South Africa ranks 37th out of 134 countries with data for 2018.
Is out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age, male rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 60.3%. 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 Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age, male in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 17 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/out-of-school-rate-for-adolescents-of-lower-secondary-school-age-male-percent/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age, male (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
179 places, 2,994 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

Number of males of official lower secondary school age who are not enrolled in lower secondary school expressed as a percentage of the male population of official lower secondary school age.