Repetition rate in Grade 7 of primary education, female in South Africa
South Africa: Repetition rate in Grade 7 of primary education, female was 1.5% in 2022. ◆ Volatile
Repetition rate in Grade 7 of primary education, female in South Africa, 1990–2022
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for repetition rate in grade 7 of primary education, female in South Africa is 1.5%, measured in 2022. That is the lowest value across all 14 years on record.
That represents a change of down 10.6% on the previous year and down 74.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, repetition rate in grade 7 of primary education, female in South Africa peaked at 8.9% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 1.5%, in 2022.
That places South Africa 11th out of 26 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Repetition rate in Grade 7 of primary education, female in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 8.9% | — |
| 1998 | 8.3% | -6.9% |
| 1999 | 4.9% | -40.7% |
| 2001 | 3.3% | -33.7% |
| 2002 | 2.8% | -15.6% |
| 2003 | 5.3% | +91.3% |
| 2014 | 6.0% | +13.0% |
| 2015 | 5.1% | -14.6% |
| 2017 | 3.1% | -39.7% |
| 2018 | 3.2% | +3.1% |
| 2019 | 2.7% | -14.1% |
| 2020 | 1.8% | -35.2% |
| 2021 | 1.7% | -2.1% |
| 2022 | 1.5% | -10.6% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 1.5% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.1%, 14.5× the median. (7 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 1.5% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 4.7%, 33% of the median. (11 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 7.4% | 4.9% | 8.9% | 3 |
| 2000s | 3.8% | 2.8% | 5.3% | 3 |
| 2010s | 4.0% | 2.7% | 6.0% | 5 |
| 2020s | 1.7% | 1.5% | 1.8% | 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 7 of primary education, female in South Africa?
- Repetition rate in grade 7 of primary education, female in South Africa was 1.5% in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest repetition rate in grade 7 of primary education, female recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 8.9% in 1990.
- What is the lowest repetition rate in grade 7 of primary education, female recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.5% in 2022.
- How does South Africa rank for repetition rate in grade 7 of primary education, female?
- South Africa ranks 11th out of 26 countries with data for 2022.
- Is repetition rate in grade 7 of primary education, female rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 74.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Repetition rate in Grade 7 of primary education, female (%). 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