Repetition rate in Grade 5 of primary education, both sexes in South Africa
South Africa: Repetition rate in Grade 5 of primary education, both sexes was 3.7% in 2022. ▼ Falling
Repetition rate in Grade 5 of primary education, both sexes in South Africa, 1990–2022
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2022, repetition rate in grade 5 of primary education, both sexes in South Africa stood at 3.7%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 74.7% on the previous year and down 53.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, repetition rate in grade 5 of primary education, both sexes in South Africa peaked at 13.4% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 2.1%, in 2021.
That places South Africa 51st out of 171 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 14 years of available data.
Repetition rate in Grade 5 of primary education, both sexes in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 13.4% | — |
| 1998 | 9.7% | -28.0% |
| 1999 | 9.7% | +0.2% |
| 2001 | 8.2% | -15.1% |
| 2002 | 4.8% | -42.2% |
| 2003 | 7.3% | +52.6% |
| 2014 | 7.9% | +9.0% |
| 2015 | 7.0% | -12.1% |
| 2017 | 6.0% | -14.4% |
| 2018 | 6.3% | +6.2% |
| 2019 | 5.5% | -12.5% |
| 2020 | 3.6% | -35.4% |
| 2021 | 2.1% | -41.3% |
| 2022 | 3.7% | +74.7% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 3.7% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.9%, 4.2× the median. (50 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 3.7% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 8.5%, 43% of the median. (43 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 10.9% | 9.7% | 13.4% | 3 |
| 2000s | 6.8% | 4.8% | 8.2% | 3 |
| 2010s | 6.5% | 5.5% | 7.9% | 5 |
| 2020s | 3.1% | 2.1% | 3.7% | 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 5 of primary education, both sexes in South Africa?
- Repetition rate in grade 5 of primary education, both sexes in South Africa was 3.7% in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest repetition rate in grade 5 of primary education, both sexes recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 13.4% in 1990.
- What is the lowest repetition rate in grade 5 of primary education, both sexes recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.1% in 2021.
- How does South Africa rank for repetition rate in grade 5 of primary education, both sexes?
- South Africa ranks 51st out of 171 countries with data for 2022.
- Is repetition rate in grade 5 of primary education, both sexes rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 53.7%. 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 5 of primary education, both sexes (%). 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