Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in South Africa
South Africa: Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal was 54.5% in 2024. ▬ Flat
Latest (2024)
54.5%
Change on year
down 1.7%
World rank
55th
of 110 countries
All-time high
60.0%
in 2021
All-time low
54.5%
in 2024
Years of data
20
2000–2024
Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in South Africa, 2000–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 54.5% for participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 20 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.7% on the previous year and down 5.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in South Africa peaked at 60.0% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 54.5%, in 2024.
South Africa ranks 55th of 110 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 57.9% | — |
| 2001 | 56.7% | -2.0% |
| 2002 | 56.3% | -0.8% |
| 2003 | 56.7% | +0.8% |
| 2004 | 56.9% | +0.3% |
| 2005 | 56.5% | -0.6% |
| 2006 | 57.4% | +1.5% |
| 2007 | 56.8% | -1.0% |
| 2013 | 56.7% | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 57.4% | +1.2% |
| 2015 | 56.9% | -0.9% |
| 2016 | 57.0% | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 57.6% | +1.0% |
| 2018 | 57.2% | -0.6% |
| 2019 | 56.8% | -0.8% |
| 2020 | 59.2% | +4.4% |
| 2021 | 60.0% | +1.2% |
| 2022 | 55.0% | -8.3% |
| 2023 | 55.5% | +0.9% |
| 2024 | 54.5% | -1.7% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 54.5% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 50.0%, 1.1× the median. (35 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 54.5% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 47.5%, 1.1× the median. (20 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 56.9% | 56.3% | 57.9% | 8 |
| 2010s | 57.1% | 56.7% | 57.6% | 7 |
| 2020s | 56.8% | 54.5% | 60.0% | 5 |
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 participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in South Africa?
- Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in South Africa was 54.5% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 60.0% in 2021.
- What is the lowest participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 54.5% in 2024.
- How does South Africa rank for participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal?
- South Africa ranks 55th out of 110 countries with data for 2024.
- Is participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal education and training in the previous 12 months, 15-24 years old, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 20 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release