School enrollment, preprimary, male in South Africa

South Africa: School enrollment, preprimary, male was 17.4% in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
17.4%
Change on year
down 2.0%
World rank
169th
of 194 countries
All-time high
30.4%
in 1996
All-time low
5.2%
in 1999
Years of data
15
1994–2020

School enrollment, preprimary, male in South Africa, 1994–2020

1020301994200720201994: 26.4 % gross1996: 30.4 % gross1998: 24 % gross1999: 5.2 % gross2010: 18.4 % gross2011: 18.5 % gross2012: 18.7 % gross2013: 18.2 % gross2014: 18.7 % gross2015: 18.7 % gross2016: 18.2 % gross2017: 18.4 % gross2018: 17.6 % gross2019: 17.8 % gross2020: 17.4 % gross

Source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % gross.

Analysis

In 2020, school enrollment, preprimary, male in South Africa stood at 17.4%.

The figure is down 2.0% on the previous year and down 5.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, school enrollment, preprimary, male in South Africa peaked at 30.4% in 1996 and was at its lowest, 5.2%, in 1999.

That places South Africa 169th out of 194 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 15 years of available data.

School enrollment, preprimary, male in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for School enrollment, preprimary, male (% gross) in South Africa, 1994 to 2020.
Year % gross Change
1994 26.4%
1996 30.4% +15.2%
1998 24.0% -21.2%
1999 5.2% -78.5%
2010 18.4% +255.9%
2011 18.5% +0.7%
2012 18.7% +1.0%
2013 18.2% -2.9%
2014 18.7% +3.0%
2015 18.7% -0.3%
2016 18.2% -2.6%
2017 18.4% +1.3%
2018 17.6% -4.6%
2019 17.8% +1.2%
2020 17.4% -2.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 21.5% 5.2% 30.4% 4
2010s 18.3% 17.6% 18.7% 10
2020s 17.4% 17.4% 17.4% 1

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 166 Botswana 21.1% compare
  2. 167 Guinea 19.9% compare
  3. 168 Saudi Arabia 17.7% compare
  4. 170 Senegal 16.4% compare
  5. 171 Burundi 16.2% compare
  6. 172 Uganda 14.1% compare

See the full ranking of 239 places →

More education data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is school enrollment, preprimary, male in South Africa?
School enrollment, preprimary, male in South Africa was 17.4% in 2020, according to Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
What is the highest school enrollment, preprimary, male recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 30.4% in 1996.
What is the lowest school enrollment, preprimary, male recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 5.2% in 1999.
How does South Africa rank for school enrollment, preprimary, male?
South Africa ranks 169th out of 194 countries with data for 2020.
Is school enrollment, preprimary, male rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 5.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of School enrollment, preprimary, male (% gross). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 15 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

School enrollment, preprimary, male in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 02 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/school-enrollment-preprimary-male-percent-gross/south-africa/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://education.statizoid.com/stat/school-enrollment-preprimary-male-percent-gross/south-africa/">School enrollment, preprimary, male in South Africa</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
School enrollment, preprimary, male (% gross)
Unit
% gross
Source
Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
239 places, 7,379 data points, 1970–2022
Last refreshed

Gross enrollment ratio is the ratio of total enrollment, regardless of age, to the population of the age group that officially corresponds to the level of education shown. Preprimary education refers to programs at the initial stage of organized instruction, designed primarily to introduce very young children to a school-type environment and to provide a bridge between home and school.