What is the highest school age population, secondary education, male recorded in South Africa?

The highest recorded value was 2.69 million number in 2004.

What is the lowest school age population, secondary education, male recorded in South Africa?

The lowest recorded value was 1.20 million number in 1970.

How does South Africa rank for school age population, secondary education, male?

South Africa ranks 29th out of 205 countries with data for 2020.

Is school age population, secondary education, male rising or falling in South Africa?

Over the last ten years it is down 0.2%. 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, male (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

School age population, secondary education, male in South Africa

Name: School age population, secondary education, male in South Africa
Creator: UNESCO Institute for Statistics
License: CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)

South Africa: School age population, secondary education, male was 2.52 million number in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)

2.52 million number

Change on year

up 1.7%

World rank

29th

of 205 countries

All-time high

2.69 million number

in 2004

All-time low

1.20 million number

in 1970

Years of data

1970–2020

School age population, secondary education, male in South Africa, 1970–2020

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.

Analysis

In 2020, school age population, secondary education, male in South Africa stood at 2.52 million number.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.7% on the previous year and down 0.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, school age population, secondary education, male in South Africa peaked at 2.69 million number in 2004 and was at its lowest, 1.20 million number, in 1970.

That places South Africa 29th out of 205 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 51 years of available data.

School age population, secondary education, male in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for School age population, secondary education, male (number) in South Africa, 1970 to 2020.
Year	number	Change
1970	1.20 million number	—
1971	1.23 million number	+2.6%
1972	1.26 million number	+2.5%
1973	1.29 million number	+2.6%
1974	1.33 million number	+2.7%
1975	1.37 million number	+2.7%
1976	1.40 million number	+2.6%
1977	1.44 million number	+2.6%
1978	1.48 million number	+2.6%
1979	1.51 million number	+2.5%
1980	1.55 million number	+2.5%
1981	1.59 million number	+2.5%
1982	1.63 million number	+2.6%
1983	1.67 million number	+2.7%
1984	1.72 million number	+2.7%
1985	1.77 million number	+2.8%
1986	1.82 million number	+2.7%
1987	1.86 million number	+2.6%
1988	1.91 million number	+2.5%
1989	1.96 million number	+2.4%
1990	2.00 million number	+2.2%
1991	2.04 million number	+2.2%
1992	2.09 million number	+2.5%
1993	2.15 million number	+2.9%
1994	2.22 million number	+3.2%
1995	2.30 million number	+3.3%
1996	2.38 million number	+3.8%
1997	2.39 million number	+0.1%
1998	2.46 million number	+3.1%
1999	2.52 million number	+2.5%
2000	2.57 million number	+2.0%
2001	2.62 million number	+1.9%
2002	2.66 million number	+1.4%
2003	2.68 million number	+0.9%
2004	2.69 million number	+0.4%
2005	2.69 million number	-0.2%
2006	2.66 million number	-0.9%
2007	2.63 million number	-1.3%
2008	2.59 million number	-1.5%
2009	2.55 million number	-1.4%
2010	2.52 million number	-1.3%
2011	2.49 million number	-1.1%
2012	2.47 million number	-0.9%
2013	2.45 million number	-0.6%
2014	2.44 million number	-0.5%
2015	2.43 million number	-0.4%
2016	2.43 million number	-0.1%
2017	2.43 million number	+0.1%
2018	2.44 million number	+0.6%
2019	2.47 million number	+1.2%
2020	2.52 million number	+1.7%

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1970s	1.35 million number	1.20 million number	1.51 million number	10
1980s	1.75 million number	1.55 million number	1.96 million number	10
1990s	2.26 million number	2.00 million number	2.52 million number	10
2000s	2.63 million number	2.55 million number	2.69 million number	10
2010s	2.46 million number	2.43 million number	2.52 million number	10
2020s	2.52 million number	2.52 million number	2.52 million number	1

Countries ranked near South Africa

26 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 2.68 million number compare
27 Thailand 2.64 million number compare
28 Iraq 2.63 million number compare
30 Colombia 2.44 million number compare
31 Italy 2.37 million number compare
32 Angola 2.35 million number compare

See the full ranking of 250 places →

More education data for South Africa

Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 5.50 million (2023)
Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 2.22 % change on previous year (2023)
Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 287,310 (2023)
Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 13.45 % change on previous year (2015)
Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 2.82 million (2023)
Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.53 % change on previous year (2023)
Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 2.68 million (2023)
Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 2.97 % change on previous year (2023)
Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 818,404 (2023)
Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 3.28 % change on previous year (2023)

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is school age population, secondary education, male in South Africa?: School age population, secondary education, male in South Africa was 2.52 million number in 2020, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest school age population, secondary education, male recorded in South Africa?: The highest recorded value was 2.69 million number in 2004.
What is the lowest school age population, secondary education, male recorded in South Africa?: The lowest recorded value was 1.20 million number in 1970.
How does South Africa rank for school age population, secondary education, male?: South Africa ranks 29th out of 205 countries with data for 2020.
Is school age population, secondary education, male rising or falling in South Africa?: Over the last ten years it is down 0.2%. 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, male (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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School age population, secondary education, male in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 31 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/school-age-population-secondary-education-male-number/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator: School age population, secondary education, male (number)
Unit: number
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage: 250 places, 12,261 data points, 1970–2020
Last refreshed: 21 August 2026

Male population of the age-group theoretically corresponding to secondary education as indicated by theoretical entrance age and duration.