Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in South Africa
South Africa: Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age was 3.5% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
3.5%
Change on year
up 61.7%
World rank
36th
of 45 countries
All-time high
5.4%
in 2021
All-time low
1.8%
in 2022
Years of data
6
2016–2024
Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in South Africa, 2016–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in South Africa is 3.5%, measured in 2024.
The figure is up 61.7% on the previous year and down 25.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in South Africa peaked at 5.4% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 1.8%, in 2022.
South Africa ranks 36th of 45 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 4.7% | — |
| 2020 | 3.6% | -23.0% |
| 2021 | 5.4% | +49.5% |
| 2022 | 1.8% | -66.0% |
| 2023 | 2.2% | +17.9% |
| 2024 | 3.5% | +61.7% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 3.5% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 4.6%, 76% of the median. (13 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 3.5% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 25.3%, 14% of the median. (21 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 4.7% | 4.7% | 4.7% | 1 |
| 2020s | 3.3% | 1.8% | 5.4% | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 33 Egypt 4.3% compare
- 34 Panama 3.8% compare
- 35 Dominican Republic 3.6% compare
- 37 Peru 3.4% compare
- 38 Costa Rica 3.2% compare
- 39 Kyrgyzstan 2.5% compare
More education data for South Africa
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 181,739 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 339,638 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 410,708 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 407,696 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 5.50 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in South Africa?
- Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age in South Africa was 3.5% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 5.4% in 2021.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.8% in 2022.
- How does South Africa rank for out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age?
- South Africa ranks 36th out of 45 countries with data for 2024.
- Is out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 25.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- 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, rural, female (household survey data) (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 6 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release