Percentage of teachers in secondary education who are female in South Africa
South Africa: Percentage of teachers in secondary education who are female was 60.5% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Percentage of teachers in secondary education who are female in South Africa, 1991–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, percentage of teachers in secondary education who are female in South Africa stood at 60.5%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.1% on the previous year and up 4.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, percentage of teachers in secondary education who are female in South Africa peaked at 63.1% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 49.8%, in 2000.
That places South Africa 96th out of 210 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 20 years of available data.
Percentage of teachers in secondary education who are female in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 63.1% | — |
| 1998 | 50.1% | -20.6% |
| 1999 | 50.1% | -0.1% |
| 2000 | 49.8% | -0.6% |
| 2001 | 51.4% | +3.3% |
| 2002 | 51.0% | -0.8% |
| 2003 | 50.2% | -1.4% |
| 2004 | 51.8% | +3.2% |
| 2005 | 52.0% | +0.3% |
| 2006 | 52.7% | +1.5% |
| 2007 | 53.2% | +0.8% |
| 2008 | 53.7% | +1.0% |
| 2009 | 54.8% | +2.0% |
| 2015 | 58.1% | +6.1% |
| 2016 | 58.0% | -0.3% |
| 2019 | 58.8% | +1.5% |
| 2020 | 59.2% | +0.6% |
| 2021 | 60.8% | +2.6% |
| 2022 | 60.5% | -0.3% |
| 2023 | 60.5% | -0.1% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 60.5% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 63.5%, 95% of the median. (56 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 60.5% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 29.8%, 2.0× the median. (46 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 54.4% | 50.1% | 63.1% | 3 |
| 2000s | 52.0% | 49.8% | 54.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 58.3% | 58.0% | 58.8% | 3 |
| 2020s | 60.2% | 59.2% | 60.8% | 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 teachers in secondary education who are female in South Africa?
- Percentage of teachers in secondary education who are female in South Africa was 60.5% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest percentage of teachers in secondary education who are female recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 63.1% in 1991.
- What is the lowest percentage of teachers in secondary education who are female recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 49.8% in 2000.
- How does South Africa rank for percentage of teachers in secondary education who are female?
- South Africa ranks 96th out of 210 countries with data for 2023.
- Is percentage of teachers in secondary education who are female rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Percentage of teachers in secondary education who are female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release