Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, female in South Africa
South Africa: Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, female was 5.9% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, female in South Africa, 1970–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, female in South Africa is 5.9%, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of up 5.7% on the previous year and up 64.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, female in South Africa peaked at 30.7% in 1970 and was at its lowest, 0.3%, in 2021.
South Africa ranks 80th of 180 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, female in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 30.7% | — |
| 1991 | 11.8% | -61.7% |
| 1994 | 15.1% | +28.4% |
| 1995 | 16.6% | +10.1% |
| 1998 | 16.3% | -1.9% |
| 1999 | 15.0% | -8.0% |
| 2000 | 16.4% | +9.2% |
| 2001 | 14.9% | -8.9% |
| 2002 | 13.3% | -11.2% |
| 2003 | 12.4% | -6.4% |
| 2004 | 11.9% | -4.1% |
| 2005 | 11.6% | -2.9% |
| 2017 | 3.6% | -68.8% |
| 2018 | 8.3% | +128.6% |
| 2019 | 7.3% | -11.5% |
| 2020 | 7.3% | -0.7% |
| 2021 | 0.3% | -95.6% |
| 2022 | 5.6% | +1680.1% |
| 2023 | 5.9% | +5.7% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 5.9% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 5.9%, 1.0× the median. (50 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 5.9% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 16.1%, 37% of the median. (44 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, female in South Africa changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | +1680.1% | 0.3% | 5.6% |
| 2018 | +128.6% | 3.6% | 8.3% |
| 2021 | -95.6% | 7.3% | 0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 30.7% | 30.7% | 30.7% | 1 |
| 1990s | 15.0% | 11.8% | 16.6% | 5 |
| 2000s | 13.4% | 11.6% | 16.4% | 6 |
| 2010s | 6.4% | 3.6% | 8.3% | 3 |
| 2020s | 4.8% | 0.3% | 7.3% | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 77 Seychelles 6.5% compare
- 78 Saint Lucia 6.4% compare
- 79 Trinidad and Tobago 6.2% compare
- 81 Dominica 5.9% compare
- 82 Serbia 5.9% compare
- 83 Georgia 5.9% 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 children of primary school age, female in South Africa?
- Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, female in South Africa was 5.9% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, female recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 30.7% in 1970.
- What is the lowest out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, female recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.3% in 2021.
- How does South Africa rank for out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, female?
- South Africa ranks 80th out of 180 countries with data for 2023.
- Is out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, female rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 64.7%. 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 Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 19 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release