Repetition rate in primary education (all grades), both sexes in South Africa
South Africa: Repetition rate in primary education (all grades), both sexes was 4.5% in 2022. ▼ Falling
Repetition rate in primary education (all grades), both sexes in South Africa, 1990–2022
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2022, repetition rate in primary education (all grades), both sexes in South Africa stood at 4.5%.
That represents a change of up 48.5% on the previous year and down 54.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, repetition rate in primary education (all grades), both sexes in South Africa peaked at 12.8% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 3.0%, in 2021.
South Africa ranks 54th of 196 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 16 years of available data.
Repetition rate in primary education (all grades), both sexes in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 12.8% | — |
| 1997 | 7.9% | -38.4% |
| 1998 | 10.3% | +30.8% |
| 1999 | 8.2% | -20.0% |
| 2000 | 9.3% | +13.0% |
| 2001 | 7.5% | -20.1% |
| 2002 | 5.2% | -30.0% |
| 2003 | 7.9% | +51.9% |
| 2014 | 9.7% | +22.4% |
| 2015 | 8.7% | -10.1% |
| 2017 | 7.6% | -13.2% |
| 2018 | 7.7% | +1.4% |
| 2019 | 6.7% | -12.6% |
| 2020 | 4.6% | -31.7% |
| 2021 | 3.0% | -34.7% |
| 2022 | 4.5% | +48.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 9.8% | 7.9% | 12.8% | 4 |
| 2000s | 7.5% | 5.2% | 9.3% | 4 |
| 2010s | 8.1% | 6.7% | 9.7% | 5 |
| 2020s | 4.0% | 3.0% | 4.6% | 3 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 51 Belize 5.3% compare
- 52 Micronesia, Federated States of 5.1% compare
- 53 Botswana 4.5% compare
- 55 Syrian Arab Republic 4.2% compare
- 56 Dominican Republic 3.9% compare
- 57 Palau 3.9% 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 primary education (all grades), both sexes in South Africa?
- Repetition rate in primary education (all grades), both sexes in South Africa was 4.5% in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest repetition rate in primary education (all grades), both sexes recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 12.8% in 1990.
- What is the lowest repetition rate in primary education (all grades), both sexes recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.0% in 2021.
- How does South Africa rank for repetition rate in primary education (all grades), both sexes?
- South Africa ranks 54th out of 196 countries with data for 2022.
- Is repetition rate in primary education (all grades), both sexes rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 54.2%. 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 primary education (all grades), both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 16 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release