Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in South Africa
South Africa: Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions was 51.5% in 2023. ▬ Flat
Latest (2023)
51.5%
Change on year
down 0.1%
World rank
87th
of 200 countries
All-time high
51.6%
in 2020
All-time low
50.9%
in 1999
Years of data
24
1999–2023
Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in South Africa, 1999–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in South Africa stood at 51.5%.
That represents a change of down 0.1% on the previous year and down 0.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in South Africa peaked at 51.6% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 50.9%, in 1999.
That places South Africa 87th out of 200 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 50.9% | — |
| 2000 | 51.5% | +1.0% |
| 2001 | 51.1% | -0.6% |
| 2002 | 51.1% | -0.1% |
| 2003 | 51.2% | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 51.3% | +0.2% |
| 2005 | 51.3% | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 51.3% | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 51.2% | -0.3% |
| 2008 | 51.2% | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 51.3% | +0.2% |
| 2010 | 51.4% | +0.2% |
| 2011 | 51.5% | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 51.6% | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 51.6% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 51.5% | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 51.4% | -0.3% |
| 2017 | 51.4% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 51.6% | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 51.5% | -0.2% |
| 2020 | 51.6% | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 51.6% | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 51.6% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 51.5% | -0.1% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 51.5% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 51.6%, 100% of the median. (57 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 51.5% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 51.5%, 1.0× the median. (45 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 50.9% | 50.9% | 50.9% | 1 |
| 2000s | 51.2% | 51.1% | 51.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 51.5% | 51.4% | 51.6% | 9 |
| 2020s | 51.6% | 51.5% | 51.6% | 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 percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in South Africa?
- Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions in South Africa was 51.5% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 51.6% in 2020.
- What is the lowest percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 50.9% in 1999.
- How does South Africa rank for percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions?
- South Africa ranks 87th out of 200 countries with data for 2023.
- Is percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.1%. 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 Percentage of enrolment in primary education in public institutions, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release