Repetition rate in Grade 6 of primary education, both sexes in South Africa
South Africa: Repetition rate in Grade 6 of primary education, both sexes was 2.7% in 2022. ▼ Falling
Repetition rate in Grade 6 of primary education, both sexes in South Africa, 1990–2022
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2022, repetition rate in grade 6 of primary education, both sexes in South Africa stood at 2.7%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 81.4% on the previous year and down 56.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, repetition rate in grade 6 of primary education, both sexes in South Africa peaked at 10.8% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 1.5%, in 2021.
South Africa ranks 55th of 142 countries on this measure, 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 6 of primary education, both sexes in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 10.8% | — |
| 1998 | 8.5% | -21.9% |
| 1999 | 7.1% | -16.5% |
| 2001 | 6.1% | -13.1% |
| 2002 | 4.5% | -25.9% |
| 2003 | 5.8% | +27.1% |
| 2014 | 6.1% | +6.2% |
| 2015 | 5.3% | -13.2% |
| 2017 | 4.3% | -18.4% |
| 2018 | 4.4% | +2.1% |
| 2019 | 3.8% | -14.1% |
| 2020 | 2.5% | -34.2% |
| 2021 | 1.5% | -41.0% |
| 2022 | 2.7% | +81.3% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 2.7% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.4%, 1.9× the median. (38 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 2.7% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 8.9%, 30% of the median. (41 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 8.8% | 7.1% | 10.8% | 3 |
| 2000s | 5.5% | 4.5% | 6.1% | 3 |
| 2010s | 4.8% | 3.8% | 6.1% | 5 |
| 2020s | 2.2% | 1.5% | 2.7% | 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 6 of primary education, both sexes in South Africa?
- Repetition rate in grade 6 of primary education, both sexes in South Africa was 2.7% in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest repetition rate in grade 6 of primary education, both sexes recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 10.8% in 1990.
- What is the lowest repetition rate in grade 6 of primary education, both sexes recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.5% in 2021.
- How does South Africa rank for repetition rate in grade 6 of primary education, both sexes?
- South Africa ranks 55th out of 142 countries with data for 2022.
- Is repetition rate in grade 6 of primary education, both sexes rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 56.3%. 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 6 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