Percentage of enrolment in pre-primary education in private in South Africa

South Africa: Percentage of enrolment in pre-primary education in private was 5.5% in 2018. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2018)
5.5%
Change on year
down 1.9%
World rank
164th
of 195 countries
All-time high
26.0%
in 1999
All-time low
5.3%
in 2009
Years of data
20
1994–2018

Percentage of enrolment in pre-primary education in private in South Africa, 1994–2018

5101520251994200620181994: 8.5 %1999: 26 %2000: 10.8 %2001: 10.8 %2002: 7.2 %2003: 7.7 %2004: 7.2 %2005: 5.5 %2007: 5.6 %2008: 5.4 %2009: 5.3 %2010: 5.8 %2011: 6.4 %2012: 6.1 %2013: 6.1 %2014: 6.3 %2015: 7 %2016: 6.7 %2017: 5.6 %2018: 5.5 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 5.5% for percentage of enrolment in pre-primary education in private in 2018.

That represents a change of down 1.9% on the previous year and up 3.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, percentage of enrolment in pre-primary education in private in South Africa peaked at 26.0% in 1999 and was at its lowest, 5.3%, in 2009.

South Africa ranks 164th of 195 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Percentage of enrolment in pre-primary education in private in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Percentage of enrolment in pre-primary education in private institutions (%) in South Africa, 1994 to 2018.
Year % Change
1994 8.5%
1999 26.0% +206.8%
2000 10.8% -58.5%
2001 10.8% -0.0%
2002 7.2% -33.0%
2003 7.7% +6.1%
2004 7.2% -6.1%
2005 5.5% -23.7%
2007 5.6% +2.7%
2008 5.4% -5.1%
2009 5.3% -1.9%
2010 5.8% +10.7%
2011 6.4% +9.6%
2012 6.1% -4.4%
2013 6.1% +0.7%
2014 6.3% +1.8%
2015 7.0% +11.9%
2016 6.7% -3.8%
2017 5.6% -16.1%
2018 5.5% -1.9%

South Africa compared with similar countries

  • South Africa's 5.5% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 28.7%, 19% of the median. (55 countries reporting)
  • South Africa's 5.5% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 35.8%, 15% of the median. (40 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Percentage of enrolment in pre-primary education in private 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.

YearChange FromTo
1999 +206.8% 8.5% 26.0%
2000 -58.5% 26.0% 10.8%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 17.2% 8.5% 26.0% 2
2000s 7.3% 5.3% 10.8% 9
2010s 6.2% 5.5% 7.0% 9

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 161 Latvia 7.3% compare
  2. 162 Slovakia 7.1% compare
  3. 163 Tanzania, United Republic of 6.6% compare
  4. 165 Switzerland 5.1% compare
  5. 166 Romania 5.0% compare
  6. 167 Slovenia 4.7% compare

See the full ranking of 240 places →

More education data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is percentage of enrolment in pre-primary education in private in South Africa?
Percentage of enrolment in pre-primary education in private in South Africa was 5.5% in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest percentage of enrolment in pre-primary education in private recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 26.0% in 1999.
What is the lowest percentage of enrolment in pre-primary education in private recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 5.3% in 2009.
How does South Africa rank for percentage of enrolment in pre-primary education in private?
South Africa ranks 164th out of 195 countries with data for 2018.
Is percentage of enrolment in pre-primary education in private rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 3.3%. 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 Percentage of enrolment in pre-primary education in private institutions (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Percentage of enrolment in pre-primary education in private in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 16 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/percentage-of-enrolment-in-pre-primary-education-in-private-institutions-percent/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Percentage of enrolment in pre-primary education in private institutions (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
240 places, 7,090 data points, 1970–2020
Last refreshed

Total number of students in pre-primary education enrolled in institutions that are not operated by a public authority but controlled and managed, whether for profit or not, by a private body (e.g., non-governmental organisation, religious body, special interest group, foundation or business enterprise), expressed as a percentage of total number of students enrolled in pre-primary education. Within ISCED 0, early childhood educational development programmes are targeted at children aged 0 to 2 years; and pre-primary education programmes are targeted at children aged 3 years until the age to start ISCED 1.