Population of the official entrance age to primary education, female in South Africa
South Africa: Population of the official entrance age to primary education, female was 576,960 number in 2020. ▲ Rising
Population of the official entrance age to primary education, female in South Africa, 1970–2020
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 576,960 number for population of the official entrance age to primary education, female in 2020. That is the highest value across all 51 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.4% on the previous year and up 19.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population of the official entrance age to primary education, female in South Africa peaked at 576,960 number in 2020 and was at its lowest, 309,927 number, in 1970.
South Africa ranks 21st of 206 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 51 years of available data.
Population of the official entrance age to primary education, female in South Africa, year by year
| Year | number | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 309,927 number | — |
| 1971 | 317,927 number | +2.6% |
| 1972 | 325,731 number | +2.5% |
| 1973 | 333,332 number | +2.3% |
| 1974 | 340,729 number | +2.2% |
| 1975 | 347,969 number | +2.1% |
| 1976 | 357,337 number | +2.7% |
| 1977 | 367,422 number | +2.8% |
| 1978 | 377,733 number | +2.8% |
| 1979 | 387,685 number | +2.6% |
| 1980 | 396,575 number | +2.3% |
| 1981 | 406,014 number | +2.4% |
| 1982 | 414,372 number | +2.1% |
| 1983 | 422,367 number | +1.9% |
| 1984 | 430,787 number | +2.0% |
| 1985 | 440,638 number | +2.3% |
| 1986 | 453,300 number | +2.9% |
| 1987 | 468,604 number | +3.4% |
| 1988 | 484,969 number | +3.5% |
| 1989 | 500,880 number | +3.3% |
| 1990 | 514,105 number | +2.6% |
| 1991 | 523,017 number | +1.7% |
| 1992 | 529,601 number | +1.3% |
| 1993 | 533,630 number | +0.8% |
| 1994 | 534,711 number | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 533,035 number | -0.3% |
| 1996 | 530,969 number | -0.4% |
| 1997 | 529,634 number | -0.3% |
| 1998 | 521,260 number | -1.6% |
| 1999 | 510,821 number | -2.0% |
| 2000 | 500,048 number | -2.1% |
| 2001 | 493,179 number | -1.4% |
| 2002 | 487,253 number | -1.2% |
| 2003 | 482,162 number | -1.0% |
| 2004 | 477,697 number | -0.9% |
| 2005 | 473,666 number | -0.8% |
| 2006 | 471,568 number | -0.4% |
| 2007 | 471,277 number | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 472,805 number | +0.3% |
| 2009 | 476,257 number | +0.7% |
| 2010 | 481,610 number | +1.1% |
| 2011 | 488,393 number | +1.4% |
| 2012 | 500,266 number | +2.4% |
| 2013 | 515,113 number | +3.0% |
| 2014 | 530,767 number | +3.0% |
| 2015 | 545,283 number | +2.7% |
| 2016 | 557,354 number | +2.2% |
| 2017 | 565,766 number | +1.5% |
| 2018 | 571,291 number | +1.0% |
| 2019 | 574,761 number | +0.6% |
| 2020 | 576,960 number | +0.4% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 576,960 number is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 56,835 number, 10.2× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 576,960 number is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 178,844 number, 3.2× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 346,579 number | 309,927 number | 387,685 number | 10 |
| 1980s | 441,851 number | 396,575 number | 500,880 number | 10 |
| 1990s | 526,078 number | 510,821 number | 534,711 number | 10 |
| 2000s | 480,591 number | 471,277 number | 500,048 number | 10 |
| 2010s | 533,060 number | 481,610 number | 574,761 number | 10 |
| 2020s | 576,960 number | 576,960 number | 576,960 number | 1 |
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 population of the official entrance age to primary education, female in South Africa?
- Population of the official entrance age to primary education, female in South Africa was 576,960 number in 2020, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest population of the official entrance age to primary education, female recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 576,960 number in 2020.
- What is the lowest population of the official entrance age to primary education, female recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 309,927 number in 1970.
- How does South Africa rank for population of the official entrance age to primary education, female?
- South Africa ranks 21st out of 206 countries with data for 2020.
- Is population of the official entrance age to primary education, female rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 19.8%. 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 Population of the official entrance age to primary education, female (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 51 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Female population of the age-group theoretically corresponding to the official entrance age to primary education. The official entrance age is the age at which students would enter a given programme or level of education assuming they start at the official entrance age for the lowest level of education, study full-time throughout and progressed through the system without repeating or skipping a grade. The theoretical entrance age to a given programme or level is typically, but not always, the most common entrance age.