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 6.0% in 2017. ▼ Falling
Repetition rate in Grade 5 of primary education, both sexes in South Africa, 1990–2017
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 6.0% for repetition rate in grade 5 of primary education, both sexes in 2017.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 14.4% on the previous year and down 17.9% 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, 4.8%, in 2002.
That places South Africa 44th out of 157 countries with data for 2017, putting it in the middle of the range.
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% |
| 2015 | 7.0% | -4.2% |
| 2017 | 6.0% | -14.4% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 6.0% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.0%, 5.9× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 6.0% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 10.4%, 58% of the median. (42 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% | 6.0% | 7.0% | 2 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 41 Aruba 6.2% compare
- 42 Oman 6.1% compare
- 43 Cape Verde 6.0% compare
- 45 Trinidad and Tobago 5.9% compare
- 46 Dominican Republic 5.7% compare
- 47 Belize 5.6% 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 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 6.0% in 2017, 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 4.8% in 2002.
- How does South Africa rank for repetition rate in grade 5 of primary education, both sexes?
- South Africa ranks 44th out of 157 countries with data for 2017.
- 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 17.9%. 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 5 of primary education, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 8 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Number of repeaters in a given grade in a given school year, expressed as a percentage of enrolment in that grade the previous school year. Divide the number of repeaters in a given grade in school year t+1 by the number of pupils from the same cohort enrolled in the same grade in the previous school year t.