School age population, secondary education, both sexes in South Africa
South Africa: School age population, secondary education, both sexes was 5.43 million in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
5.43 million
Change on year
up 1.0%
World rank
29th
of 220 countries
All-time high
5.89 million
in 2003
All-time low
2.39 million
in 1970
Years of data
56
1970–2025
School age population, secondary education, both sexes in South Africa, 1970–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2025, school age population, secondary education, both sexes in South Africa stood at 5.43 million.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.0% on the previous year and up 7.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school age population, secondary education, both sexes in South Africa peaked at 5.89 million in 2003 and was at its lowest, 2.39 million, in 1970.
That places South Africa 29th out of 220 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 56 years of available data.
School age population, secondary education, both sexes in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 2.39 million | — |
| 1971 | 2.47 million | +3.3% |
| 1972 | 2.54 million | +2.9% |
| 1973 | 2.61 million | +2.7% |
| 1974 | 2.68 million | +2.6% |
| 1975 | 2.74 million | +2.6% |
| 1976 | 2.82 million | +2.6% |
| 1977 | 2.89 million | +2.7% |
| 1978 | 2.98 million | +2.9% |
| 1979 | 3.06 million | +2.9% |
| 1980 | 3.16 million | +3.2% |
| 1981 | 3.28 million | +3.9% |
| 1982 | 3.39 million | +3.3% |
| 1983 | 3.48 million | +2.7% |
| 1984 | 3.57 million | +2.4% |
| 1985 | 3.64 million | +1.9% |
| 1986 | 3.74 million | +2.8% |
| 1987 | 3.84 million | +2.7% |
| 1988 | 3.93 million | +2.3% |
| 1989 | 4.00 million | +1.8% |
| 1990 | 4.04 million | +1.2% |
| 1991 | 4.05 million | +0.2% |
| 1992 | 4.06 million | +0.1% |
| 1993 | 4.15 million | +2.3% |
| 1994 | 4.11 million | -1.1% |
| 1995 | 4.49 million | +9.4% |
| 1996 | 4.79 million | +6.7% |
| 1997 | 4.95 million | +3.3% |
| 1998 | 5.13 million | +3.6% |
| 1999 | 5.36 million | +4.5% |
| 2000 | 5.57 million | +4.0% |
| 2001 | 5.75 million | +3.1% |
| 2002 | 5.85 million | +1.8% |
| 2003 | 5.89 million | +0.7% |
| 2004 | 5.87 million | -0.3% |
| 2005 | 5.79 million | -1.3% |
| 2006 | 5.72 million | -1.3% |
| 2007 | 5.63 million | -1.5% |
| 2008 | 5.56 million | -1.3% |
| 2009 | 5.45 million | -1.9% |
| 2010 | 5.42 million | -0.7% |
| 2011 | 5.35 million | -1.3% |
| 2012 | 5.26 million | -1.7% |
| 2013 | 5.19 million | -1.3% |
| 2014 | 5.16 million | -0.5% |
| 2015 | 5.05 million | -2.2% |
| 2016 | 4.97 million | -1.5% |
| 2017 | 4.78 million | -3.8% |
| 2018 | 4.81 million | +0.6% |
| 2019 | 4.85 million | +0.9% |
| 2020 | 4.93 million | +1.6% |
| 2021 | 5.03 million | +2.1% |
| 2022 | 5.15 million | +2.3% |
| 2023 | 5.28 million | +2.6% |
| 2024 | 5.38 million | +1.9% |
| 2025 | 5.43 million | +1.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2.72 million | 2.39 million | 3.06 million | 10 |
| 1980s | 3.60 million | 3.16 million | 4.00 million | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.51 million | 4.04 million | 5.36 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.71 million | 5.45 million | 5.89 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.08 million | 4.78 million | 5.42 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.20 million | 4.93 million | 5.43 million | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More education data for South Africa
- 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)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 7.52 million (2023)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth -1.44 % change on previous year (2023)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), per capita 0.119 units per person (2023)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 3.65 million (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school age population, secondary education, both sexes in South Africa?
- School age population, secondary education, both sexes in South Africa was 5.43 million in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school age population, secondary education, both sexes recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 5.89 million in 2003.
- What is the lowest school age population, secondary education, both sexes recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.39 million in 1970.
- How does South Africa rank for school age population, secondary education, both sexes?
- South Africa ranks 29th out of 220 countries with data for 2025.
- Is school age population, secondary education, both sexes rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.7%. 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 School age population, secondary education, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release