Progression to secondary school in South Africa

South Africa: Progression to secondary school was 95.8% in 2015. ▬ Flat

Latest (2015)
95.8%
Change on year
down 1.6%
World rank
99th
of 167 countries
All-time high
99.9%
in 1998
All-time low
94.9%
in 2003
Years of data
8
1990–2015

Progression to secondary school in South Africa, 1990–2015

0204060801001990200220151990: 98.8 %1998: 99.9 %1999: 97.4 %2001: 97.8 %2002: 98.4 %2003: 94.9 %2014: 97.3 %2015: 95.8 %

Source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2015, progression to secondary school in South Africa stood at 95.8%.

The figure is down 1.6% on the previous year and up 1.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, progression to secondary school in South Africa peaked at 99.9% in 1998 and was at its lowest, 94.9%, in 2003.

That places South Africa 99th out of 167 countries with data for 2015, putting it in the middle of the range.

Progression to secondary school in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Progression to secondary school (%) in South Africa, 1990 to 2015.
Year % Change
1990 98.8%
1998 99.9% +1.1%
1999 97.4% -2.5%
2001 97.8% +0.4%
2002 98.4% +0.6%
2003 94.9% -3.6%
2014 97.3% +2.6%
2015 95.8% -1.6%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 98.7% 97.4% 99.9% 3
2000s 97.0% 94.9% 98.4% 3
2010s 96.5% 95.8% 97.3% 2

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 96 Samoa 96.2% compare
  2. 97 Dominica 96.2% compare
  3. 98 Namibia 96.0% compare
  4. 100 Iran, Islamic Republic of 95.7% compare
  5. 101 Peru 95.4% compare
  6. 102 Brazil 95.2% compare

See the full ranking of 209 places →

More education data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is progression to secondary school in South Africa?
Progression to secondary school in South Africa was 95.8% in 2015, according to Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
What is the highest progression to secondary school recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 99.9% in 1998.
What is the lowest progression to secondary school recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 94.9% in 2003.
How does South Africa rank for progression to secondary school?
South Africa ranks 99th out of 167 countries with data for 2015.
Is progression to secondary school rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 1.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Progression to secondary school (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Progression to secondary school in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 26 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/progression-to-secondary-school-percent/south-africa/

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<a href="https://education.statizoid.com/stat/progression-to-secondary-school-percent/south-africa/">Progression to secondary school in South Africa</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Progression to secondary school (%)
Unit
%
Source
Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
209 places, 4,983 data points, 1970–2018
Last refreshed

Progression to secondary school refers to the number of new entrants to the first grade of secondary school in a given year as a percentage of the number of students enrolled in the final grade of primary school in the previous year (minus the number of repeaters from the last grade of primary education in the given year).