Out-of-school youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes in South Africa
South Africa: Out-of-school youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes was 408,410 in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Out-of-school youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes in South Africa, 1994–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
The most recent figure for out-of-school youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes in South Africa is 408,410, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of up 1,650.6% on the previous year and up 155.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, out-of-school youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes in South Africa peaked at 1.26 million in 2001 and was at its lowest, 23,329, in 2022.
South Africa ranks 40th of 184 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Out-of-school youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 233,001 | — |
| 1999 | 994,419 | +326.8% |
| 2000 | 1.12 million | +12.4% |
| 2001 | 1.26 million | +12.8% |
| 2002 | 1.20 million | -4.6% |
| 2003 | 1.21 million | +0.5% |
| 2004 | 1.21 million | +0.4% |
| 2005 | 1.17 million | -3.7% |
| 2015 | 159,853 | -86.3% |
| 2017 | 526,389 | +229.3% |
| 2018 | 622,018 | +18.2% |
| 2019 | 604,493 | -2.8% |
| 2020 | 498,350 | -17.6% |
| 2021 | 410,196 | -17.7% |
| 2022 | 23,329 | -94.3% |
| 2023 | 408,410 | +1650.6% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 408,410 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 31,742, 12.9× the median. (52 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 408,410 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 520,818, 78% of the median. (35 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Out-of-school youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | +1650.6% | 23,329 | 408,410 |
| 1999 | +326.8% | 233,001 | 994,419 |
| 2017 | +229.3% | 159,853 | 526,389 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 613,710 | 233,001 | 994,419 | 2 |
| 2000s | 1.20 million | 1.12 million | 1.26 million | 6 |
| 2010s | 478,188 | 159,853 | 622,018 | 4 |
| 2020s | 335,071 | 23,329 | 498,350 | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
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 youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes in South Africa?
- Out-of-school youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes in South Africa was 408,410 in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest out-of-school youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 1.26 million in 2001.
- What is the lowest out-of-school youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 23,329 in 2022.
- How does South Africa rank for out-of-school youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes?
- South Africa ranks 40th out of 184 countries with data for 2023.
- Is out-of-school youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 155.5%. 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 youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 16 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release