Repetition rate in primary education (all grades), male in South Africa
South Africa: Repetition rate in primary education (all grades), male was 6.1% in 2022. ▼ Falling
Repetition rate in primary education (all grades), male in South Africa, 1990–2022
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for repetition rate in primary education (all grades), male in South Africa is 6.1%, measured in 2022.
The figure is up 108.9% on the previous year and down 47.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, repetition rate in primary education (all grades), male in South Africa peaked at 14.5% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 2.9%, in 2021.
That places South Africa 46th out of 190 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 16 years of available data.
Repetition rate in primary education (all grades), male in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 14.5% | — |
| 1997 | 8.9% | -38.4% |
| 1998 | 11.5% | +29.1% |
| 1999 | 9.6% | -16.3% |
| 2000 | 6.1% | -36.6% |
| 2001 | 8.5% | +39.5% |
| 2002 | 5.9% | -31.0% |
| 2003 | 8.4% | +42.6% |
| 2014 | 11.5% | +37.6% |
| 2015 | 10.4% | -9.4% |
| 2017 | 9.6% | -8.4% |
| 2018 | 10.1% | +5.1% |
| 2019 | 8.9% | -11.3% |
| 2020 | 6.0% | -33.3% |
| 2021 | 2.9% | -51.1% |
| 2022 | 6.1% | +108.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 11.1% | 8.9% | 14.5% | 4 |
| 2000s | 7.2% | 5.9% | 8.5% | 4 |
| 2010s | 10.1% | 8.9% | 11.5% | 5 |
| 2020s | 5.0% | 2.9% | 6.1% | 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 primary education (all grades), male in South Africa?
- Repetition rate in primary education (all grades), male in South Africa was 6.1% in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest repetition rate in primary education (all grades), male recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 14.5% in 1990.
- What is the lowest repetition rate in primary education (all grades), male recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.9% in 2021.
- How does South Africa rank for repetition rate in primary education (all grades), male?
- South Africa ranks 46th out of 190 countries with data for 2022.
- Is repetition rate in primary education (all grades), male rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 47.3%. 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 primary education (all grades), male (%). 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