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 0.3% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in South Africa, 2000–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 0.3% for participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in 2023.
The figure is up 4.6% on the previous year and down 8.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in South Africa peaked at 0.5% in 2003 and was at its lowest, 0.2%, in 2018.
That places South Africa 42nd out of 49 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 14 years of available data.
Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 0.5% | — |
| 2001 | 0.4% | -26.5% |
| 2002 | 0.5% | +25.6% |
| 2003 | 0.5% | +12.5% |
| 2004 | 0.5% | -2.3% |
| 2005 | 0.3% | -35.4% |
| 2006 | 0.4% | +14.0% |
| 2007 | 0.5% | +18.0% |
| 2013 | 0.3% | -39.0% |
| 2015 | 0.4% | +43.2% |
| 2018 | 0.2% | -48.5% |
| 2019 | 0.3% | +42.9% |
| 2022 | 0.2% | -16.5% |
| 2023 | 0.3% | +4.6% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 0.3% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.7%, 38% of the median. (13 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.5% | 8 |
| 2010s | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.4% | 4 |
| 2020s | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.3% | 2 |
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 0.3% in 2023, 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 0.5% in 2003.
- What is the lowest participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.2% in 2018.
- How does South Africa rank for participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal?
- South Africa ranks 42nd out of 49 countries with data for 2023.
- 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 8.0%. 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 Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal education and training in the previous 12 months, 55-64 years old, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 14 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release