Proportion of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education in South Africa
South Africa: Proportion of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education was 0.4081 GPIA in 2023. ▼ Falling
Proportion of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education in South Africa, 1998–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in GPIA.
Analysis
In 2023, proportion of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education in South Africa stood at 0.4081 GPIA. That is the lowest value across all 12 years on record.
The figure is down 2.5% on the previous year and down 61.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, proportion of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education in South Africa peaked at 1.05 GPIA in 2017 and was at its lowest, 0.4081 GPIA, in 2023.
South Africa ranks 176th of 184 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 12 years of available data.
Proportion of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education in South Africa, year by year
| Year | GPIA | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 0.788 GPIA | — |
| 2000 | 0.7394 GPIA | -6.2% |
| 2002 | 0.7177 GPIA | -2.9% |
| 2003 | 0.6809 GPIA | -5.1% |
| 2004 | 0.6621 GPIA | -2.8% |
| 2017 | 1.05 GPIA | +58.7% |
| 2018 | 0.4886 GPIA | -53.5% |
| 2019 | 0.4614 GPIA | -5.6% |
| 2020 | 0.4532 GPIA | -1.8% |
| 2021 | 0.6339 GPIA | +39.9% |
| 2022 | 0.4185 GPIA | -34.0% |
| 2023 | 0.4081 GPIA | -2.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.788 GPIA | 0.788 GPIA | 0.788 GPIA | 1 |
| 2000s | 0.7 GPIA | 0.6621 GPIA | 0.7394 GPIA | 4 |
| 2010s | 0.6669 GPIA | 0.4614 GPIA | 1.05 GPIA | 3 |
| 2020s | 0.4784 GPIA | 0.4081 GPIA | 0.6339 GPIA | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 173 Cayman Islands 0.4478 GPIA compare
- 174 Dominica 0.4197 GPIA compare
- 175 Antigua and Barbuda 0.414 GPIA compare
- 177 Tajikistan 0.3836 GPIA compare
- 178 British Virgin Islands 0.3531 GPIA compare
- 179 Maldives 0.3197 GPIA compare
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 proportion of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education in South Africa?
- Proportion of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education in South Africa was 0.4081 GPIA in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest proportion of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 1.05 GPIA in 2017.
- What is the lowest proportion of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.4081 GPIA in 2023.
- How does South Africa rank for proportion of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education?
- South Africa ranks 176th out of 184 countries with data for 2023.
- Is proportion of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 61.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Proportion of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education who are at least 2 years over-age for their current grade, adjusted gender parity index (GPIA). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 12 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release