Percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education in South Africa
South Africa: Percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education was 10.0% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
10.0%
Change on year
up 27.7%
World rank
59th
of 184 countries
All-time high
30.3%
in 2017
All-time low
7.8%
in 2022
Years of data
12
1998–2023
Percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education in South Africa, 1998–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 10.0% for percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education in 2023.
That represents a change of up 27.7% on the previous year and down 67.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education in South Africa peaked at 30.3% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 7.8%, in 2022.
South Africa ranks 59th of 184 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 12 years of available data.
Percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 28.3% | — |
| 2000 | 26.3% | -7.1% |
| 2002 | 23.5% | -10.6% |
| 2003 | 19.7% | -16.2% |
| 2004 | 18.0% | -8.9% |
| 2017 | 30.3% | +68.9% |
| 2018 | 15.5% | -48.9% |
| 2019 | 13.2% | -14.7% |
| 2020 | 13.0% | -1.6% |
| 2021 | 28.3% | +117.7% |
| 2022 | 7.8% | -72.4% |
| 2023 | 10.0% | +27.7% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 10.0% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 2.4%, 4.1× the median. (52 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 10.0% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 26.3%, 38% of the median. (39 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 28.3% | 28.3% | 28.3% | 1 |
| 2000s | 21.9% | 18.0% | 26.3% | 4 |
| 2010s | 19.7% | 13.2% | 30.3% | 3 |
| 2020s | 14.8% | 7.8% | 28.3% | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 56 El Salvador 10.6% compare
- 57 Tanzania, United Republic of 10.5% compare
- 58 Dominican Republic 10.0% compare
- 60 Yemen 9.7% compare
- 61 Mali 9.4% compare
- 62 Belize 8.7% compare
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 pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education in South Africa?
- Percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education in South Africa was 10.0% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 30.3% in 2017.
- What is the lowest percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.8% in 2022.
- How does South Africa rank for percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education?
- South Africa ranks 59th out of 184 countries with data for 2023.
- Is percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 67.1%. 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 Percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education who are at least 2 years over-age for their current grade, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 12 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release