Repeaters in Grade 1 of lower secondary general education, both sexes in South Africa
South Africa: Repeaters in Grade 1 of lower secondary general education, both sexes was 137,970 in 2023. ▲ Rising
Repeaters in Grade 1 of lower secondary general education, both sexes in South Africa, 1991–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 137,970 for repeaters in grade 1 of lower secondary general education, both sexes in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 5.9% on the previous year and up 20.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, repeaters in grade 1 of lower secondary general education, both sexes in South Africa peaked at 173,191 in 1999 and was at its lowest, 58,731, in 2002.
South Africa ranks 7th of 200 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 14 years of available data.
Repeaters in Grade 1 of lower secondary general education, both sexes in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 134,198 | — |
| 1999 | 173,191 | +29.1% |
| 2000 | 171,664 | -0.9% |
| 2002 | 58,731 | -65.8% |
| 2003 | 63,482 | +8.1% |
| 2004 | 124,420 | +96.0% |
| 2015 | 114,263 | -8.2% |
| 2016 | 120,766 | +5.7% |
| 2018 | 133,964 | +10.9% |
| 2019 | 168,737 | +26.0% |
| 2020 | 160,860 | -4.7% |
| 2021 | 111,129 | -30.9% |
| 2022 | 130,225 | +17.2% |
| 2023 | 137,970 | +5.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 153,694 | 134,198 | 173,191 | 2 |
| 2000s | 104,574 | 58,731 | 171,664 | 4 |
| 2010s | 134,432 | 114,263 | 168,737 | 4 |
| 2020s | 135,046 | 111,129 | 160,860 | 4 |
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 repeaters in grade 1 of lower secondary general education, both sexes in South Africa?
- Repeaters in grade 1 of lower secondary general education, both sexes in South Africa was 137,970 in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest repeaters in grade 1 of lower secondary general education, both sexes recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 173,191 in 1999.
- What is the lowest repeaters in grade 1 of lower secondary general education, both sexes recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 58,731 in 2002.
- How does South Africa rank for repeaters in grade 1 of lower secondary general education, both sexes?
- South Africa ranks 7th out of 200 countries with data for 2023.
- Is repeaters in grade 1 of lower secondary general education, both sexes rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 20.7%. 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 Repeaters in Grade 1 of lower secondary general education, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 14 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release