Primary education, teachers in South Africa
South Africa: Primary education, teachers was 78.5% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Primary education, teachers in South Africa, 1991–2023
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % female.
Analysis
In 2023, primary education, teachers in South Africa stood at 78.5%.
That represents a change of down 0.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, primary education, teachers in South Africa peaked at 79.8% in 2002 and was at its lowest, 58.4%, in 1994.
That places South Africa 93rd out of 200 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 22 years of available data.
Primary education, teachers in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % female | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 58.5% | — |
| 1994 | 58.4% | -0.1% |
| 1995 | 73.5% | +25.9% |
| 1997 | 72.9% | -0.9% |
| 1999 | 78.1% | +7.2% |
| 2000 | 75.2% | -3.8% |
| 2001 | 77.8% | +3.5% |
| 2002 | 79.8% | +2.7% |
| 2003 | 74.4% | -6.8% |
| 2004 | 76.2% | +2.4% |
| 2005 | 75.5% | -0.9% |
| 2006 | 76.4% | +1.2% |
| 2007 | 76.5% | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 76.9% | +0.5% |
| 2009 | 77.2% | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 77.1% | -0.0% |
| 2011 | 78.6% | +1.9% |
| 2012 | 79.0% | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 78.9% | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 78.6% | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 78.8% | +0.3% |
| 2023 | 78.5% | -0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 68.3% | 58.4% | 78.1% | 5 |
| 2000s | 76.6% | 74.4% | 79.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 78.5% | 77.1% | 79.0% | 6 |
| 2020s | 78.5% | 78.5% | 78.5% | 1 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More education data for South Africa
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 2.68 million (2023)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 2.97 % change on previous year (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 818,404 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 3.28 % change on previous year (2023)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 1.19 million (2023)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) -2.55 % change on previous year (2023)
- Teachers in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 225,583 (2023)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 61,727 (2023)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 748,573 (2023)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) -1.43 % change on previous year (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is primary education, teachers in South Africa?
- Primary education, teachers in South Africa was 78.5% in 2023, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest primary education, teachers recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 79.8% in 2002.
- What is the lowest primary education, teachers recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 58.4% in 1994.
- How does South Africa rank for primary education, teachers?
- South Africa ranks 93rd out of 200 countries with data for 2023.
- Is primary education, teachers rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Primary education, teachers (% female). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Female teachers as a percentage of total primary education teachers includes full-time and part-time teachers.