Primary school attendance selected countries in South Africa
South Africa: Primary school attendance selected countries was 97.27 in 2024. ▬ Flat
Latest (2024)
97.27
Change on year
up 0.4%
World rank
16th
of 36 countries
All-time high
98.91
in 2016
All-time low
96.85
in 2023
Years of data
6
2016–2024
Primary school attendance selected countries in South Africa, 2016–2024
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2024, primary school attendance selected countries in South Africa stood at 97.27.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.4% on the previous year and down 1.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, primary school attendance selected countries in South Africa peaked at 98.91 in 2016 and was at its lowest, 96.85, in 2023.
That places South Africa 16th out of 36 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
Primary school attendance selected countries in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 98.91 | — |
| 2020 | 97.75 | -1.2% |
| 2021 | 98.43 | +0.7% |
| 2022 | 97.15 | -1.3% |
| 2023 | 96.85 | -0.3% |
| 2024 | 97.27 | +0.4% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 97.27 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 98.34, 99% of the median. (11 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 97.27 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 83.96, 1.2× the median. (15 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 98.91 | 98.91 | 98.91 | 1 |
| 2020s | 97.49 | 96.85 | 98.43 | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More education data for South Africa
- Gender gap education levels, gaps filled 94.05 (2023)
- Primary enrollment selected countries, gaps filled 93.94 (2023)
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is primary school attendance selected countries in South Africa?
- Primary school attendance selected countries in South Africa was 97.27 in 2024, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest primary school attendance selected countries recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 98.91 in 2016.
- What is the lowest primary school attendance selected countries recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 96.85 in 2023.
- How does South Africa rank for primary school attendance selected countries?
- South Africa ranks 16th out of 36 countries with data for 2024.
- Is primary school attendance selected countries rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Primary school attendance selected countries. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 6 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).