Repetition rate in lower secondary general education (all grades) in South Africa
South Africa: Repetition rate in lower secondary general education (all grades) was 14.7% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Repetition rate in lower secondary general education (all grades) in South Africa, 1999–2022
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for repetition rate in lower secondary general education (all grades) in South Africa is 14.7%, measured in 2022.
The figure is up 1.5% on the previous year and down 1.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, repetition rate in lower secondary general education (all grades) in South Africa peaked at 19.9% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 7.6%, in 2002.
That places South Africa 26th out of 173 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 11 years of available data.
Repetition rate in lower secondary general education (all grades) in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 17.4% | — |
| 2001 | 10.4% | -40.1% |
| 2002 | 7.6% | -26.7% |
| 2003 | 13.8% | +80.4% |
| 2015 | 14.9% | +8.1% |
| 2017 | 16.7% | +12.1% |
| 2018 | 19.9% | +19.2% |
| 2019 | 17.8% | -10.5% |
| 2020 | 11.2% | -36.9% |
| 2021 | 14.4% | +28.5% |
| 2022 | 14.7% | +1.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 17.4% | 17.4% | 17.4% | 1 |
| 2000s | 10.6% | 7.6% | 13.8% | 3 |
| 2010s | 17.3% | 14.9% | 19.9% | 4 |
| 2020s | 13.4% | 11.2% | 14.7% | 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 lower secondary general education (all grades) in South Africa?
- Repetition rate in lower secondary general education (all grades) in South Africa was 14.7% in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest repetition rate in lower secondary general education (all grades) recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 19.9% in 2018.
- What is the lowest repetition rate in lower secondary general education (all grades) recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.6% in 2002.
- How does South Africa rank for repetition rate in lower secondary general education (all grades)?
- South Africa ranks 26th out of 173 countries with data for 2022.
- Is repetition rate in lower secondary general education (all grades) rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Repetition rate in lower secondary general education (all grades), male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 11 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release