Repetition rate in Grade 3 of primary education, both sexes in South Africa
South Africa: Repetition rate in Grade 3 of primary education, both sexes was 4.8% in 2022. ▼ Falling
Repetition rate in Grade 3 of primary education, both sexes in South Africa, 1990–2022
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2022, repetition rate in grade 3 of primary education, both sexes in South Africa stood at 4.8%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 43.8% on the previous year and down 40.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, repetition rate in grade 3 of primary education, both sexes in South Africa peaked at 13.3% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 3.3%, in 2021.
That places South Africa 50th out of 193 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 13 years of available data.
Repetition rate in Grade 3 of primary education, both sexes in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 13.3% | — |
| 1998 | 10.0% | -24.4% |
| 1999 | 8.7% | -13.3% |
| 2001 | 7.9% | -9.5% |
| 2002 | 5.5% | -29.7% |
| 2003 | 9.1% | +64.6% |
| 2015 | 8.1% | -11.1% |
| 2017 | 6.9% | -14.8% |
| 2018 | 6.6% | -4.2% |
| 2019 | 6.0% | -8.8% |
| 2020 | 4.4% | -27.3% |
| 2021 | 3.3% | -24.1% |
| 2022 | 4.8% | +43.8% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 4.8% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.8%, 6.1× the median. (57 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 4.8% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 6.5%, 73% of the median. (44 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 10.7% | 8.7% | 13.3% | 3 |
| 2000s | 7.5% | 5.5% | 9.1% | 3 |
| 2010s | 6.9% | 6.0% | 8.1% | 4 |
| 2020s | 4.2% | 3.3% | 4.8% | 3 |
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 repetition rate in grade 3 of primary education, both sexes in South Africa?
- Repetition rate in grade 3 of primary education, both sexes in South Africa was 4.8% in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest repetition rate in grade 3 of primary education, both sexes recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 13.3% in 1990.
- What is the lowest repetition rate in grade 3 of primary education, both sexes recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.3% in 2021.
- How does South Africa rank for repetition rate in grade 3 of primary education, both sexes?
- South Africa ranks 50th out of 193 countries with data for 2022.
- Is repetition rate in grade 3 of primary education, both sexes rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 40.9%. 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 Repetition rate in Grade 3 of primary education, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 13 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release