Over-age students, primary, male in South Africa

South Africa: Over-age students, primary, male was 7.1% in 2017. ▼ Falling

Latest (2017)
7.1%
Change on year
down 1.7%
World rank
93rd
of 191 countries
All-time high
33.1%
in 1970
All-time low
7.1%
in 2017
Years of data
7
1970–2017

Over-age students, primary, male in South Africa, 1970–2017

1020301970199320171970: 33.1 % of male enrollment1991: 17.1 % of male enrollment1994: 20.2 % of male enrollment1995: 20.4 % of male enrollment1998: 13.8 % of male enrollment2015: 7.2 % of male enrollment2017: 7.1 % of male enrollment

Source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of male enrollment.

Analysis

The most recent figure for over-age students, primary, male in South Africa is 7.1%, measured in 2017. That is the lowest value across all 7 years on record.

The figure is down 1.7% on the previous year.

Over the whole period, over-age students, primary, male in South Africa peaked at 33.1% in 1970 and was at its lowest, 7.1%, in 2017.

South Africa ranks 93rd of 191 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

Over-age students, primary, male in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Over-age students, primary, male (% of male enrollment) in South Africa, 1970 to 2017.
Year % of male enrollment Change
1970 33.1%
1991 17.1% -48.3%
1994 20.2% +18.0%
1995 20.4% +0.9%
1998 13.8% -32.5%
2015 7.2% -47.5%
2017 7.1% -1.7%

South Africa compared with similar countries

  • South Africa's 7.1% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 5.4%, 1.3× the median. (53 countries reporting)
  • South Africa's 7.1% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 15.7%, 45% of the median. (46 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 33.1% 33.1% 33.1% 1
1990s 17.9% 13.8% 20.4% 4
2010s 7.2% 7.1% 7.2% 2

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 90 Syrian Arab Republic 7.3% compare
  2. 91 Mali 7.2% compare
  3. 92 Albania 7.2% compare
  4. 94 Azerbaijan 6.7% compare
  5. 95 Tunisia 6.5% compare
  6. 96 United States of America 6.5% compare

See the full ranking of 191 places →

More education data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is over-age students, primary, male in South Africa?
Over-age students, primary, male in South Africa was 7.1% in 2017, according to Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
What is the highest over-age students, primary, male recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 33.1% in 1970.
What is the lowest over-age students, primary, male recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 7.1% in 2017.
How does South Africa rank for over-age students, primary, male?
South Africa ranks 93rd out of 191 countries with data for 2017.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Over-age students, primary, male (% of male enrollment). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Over-age students, primary, male in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 14 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/over-age-students-primary-male-percent-of-male-enrollment/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Over-age students, primary, male (% of male enrollment)
Unit
% of male enrollment
Source
Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
191 places, 4,265 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

Over-age students are the percentage of those enrolled who are older than the official school-age range for primary education.