Repeaters in lower secondary general education, all grades, both sexes in South Africa

South Africa: Repeaters in lower secondary general education, all grades, both sexes was 248,755 number in 2018. ▼ Falling

Latest (2018)
248,755 number
Change on year
down 0.4%
World rank
8th
of 184 countries
All-time high
544,465 number
in 1991
All-time low
139,153 number
in 2003
Years of data
9
1991–2018

Repeaters in lower secondary general education, all grades, both sexes in South Africa, 1991–2018

100.0k200.0k300.0k400.0k500.0k1991200420181991: 544.5k number1999: 320.5k number2000: 316.2k number2002: 193.7k number2003: 139.2k number2004: 244.4k number2015: 333.8k number2016: 249.7k number2018: 248.8k number

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 248,755 number for repeaters in lower secondary general education, all grades, both sexes in 2018.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.4% on the previous year and up 1.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, repeaters in lower secondary general education, all grades, both sexes in South Africa peaked at 544,465 number in 1991 and was at its lowest, 139,153 number, in 2003.

South Africa ranks 8th of 184 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

Repeaters in lower secondary general education, all grades, both sexes in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Repeaters in lower secondary general education, all grades, both sexes (number) in South Africa, 1991 to 2018.
Year number Change
1991 544,465 number
1999 320,493 number -41.1%
2000 316,203 number -1.3%
2002 193,691 number -38.7%
2003 139,153 number -28.2%
2004 244,449 number +75.7%
2015 333,756 number +36.5%
2016 249,708 number -25.2%
2018 248,755 number -0.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 432,479 number 320,493 number 544,465 number 2
2000s 223,374 number 139,153 number 316,203 number 4
2010s 277,406 number 248,755 number 333,756 number 3

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 5 Argentina 289,528 number compare
  2. 6 Egypt 269,418 number compare
  3. 7 India 251,584 number compare
  4. 9 Mali 248,327 number compare
  5. 10 Ethiopia 228,738 number compare
  6. 11 Burkina Faso 227,633 number compare

See the full ranking of 228 places →

More education data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is repeaters in lower secondary general education, all grades, both sexes in South Africa?
Repeaters in lower secondary general education, all grades, both sexes in South Africa was 248,755 number in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest repeaters in lower secondary general education, all grades, both sexes recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 544,465 number in 1991.
What is the lowest repeaters in lower secondary general education, all grades, both sexes recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 139,153 number in 2003.
How does South Africa rank for repeaters in lower secondary general education, all grades, both sexes?
South Africa ranks 8th out of 184 countries with data for 2018.
Is repeaters in lower secondary general education, all grades, both sexes rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 1.8%. 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 Repeaters in lower secondary general education, all grades, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Repeaters in lower secondary general education, all grades, both sexes in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 03 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/repeaters-in-lower-secondary-general-education-all-grades-both-sexes-number/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Repeaters in lower secondary general education, all grades, both sexes (number)
Unit
number
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
228 places, 4,898 data points, 1970–2020
Last refreshed

Number of pupils in the specified grade who are enrolled in the same grade for a second (or further) year.