School enrollment, primary, female in South Africa
South Africa: School enrollment, primary, female was 86.7% in 2017. ▲ Rising
School enrollment, primary, female in South Africa, 1970–2017
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % net.
Analysis
The most recent figure for school enrollment, primary, female in South Africa is 86.7%, measured in 2017.
The figure is down 2.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school enrollment, primary, female in South Africa peaked at 90.8% in 1995 and was at its lowest, 68.2%, in 1970.
That places South Africa 120th out of 167 countries with data for 2017, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 13 years of available data.
School enrollment, primary, female in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % net | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 68.2% | — |
| 1991 | 89.0% | +30.4% |
| 1994 | 90.2% | +1.4% |
| 1995 | 90.8% | +0.7% |
| 1998 | 86.7% | -4.6% |
| 1999 | 88.0% | +1.5% |
| 2000 | 86.3% | -1.9% |
| 2001 | 87.5% | +1.5% |
| 2002 | 88.3% | +0.9% |
| 2003 | 89.7% | +1.5% |
| 2004 | 89.3% | -0.4% |
| 2005 | 88.9% | -0.5% |
| 2017 | 86.7% | -2.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 68.2% | 68.2% | 68.2% | 1 |
| 1990s | 88.9% | 86.7% | 90.8% | 5 |
| 2000s | 88.3% | 86.3% | 89.7% | 6 |
| 2010s | 86.7% | 86.7% | 86.7% | 1 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More education data for South Africa
- Theoretical duration of pre-primary education (years), annual growth 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Start of the academic school year (pre-primary to post-secondary non) 0.0494 % change on previous year (2025)
- Theoretical duration of lower secondary education (years), annual 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Theoretical duration of upper secondary education (years), annual 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Theoretical duration of secondary education (years), annual growth 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Start of the academic school year (tertiary education), gaps filled 2,023 tertiary education (2023)
- Start of the academic school year (tertiary education), annual growth 0.0495 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 287,310 (2023)
- Duration of pre primary education, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Duration of pre-primary education 4 years (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school enrollment, primary, female in South Africa?
- School enrollment, primary, female in South Africa was 86.7% in 2017, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest school enrollment, primary, female recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 90.8% in 1995.
- What is the lowest school enrollment, primary, female recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 68.2% in 1970.
- How does South Africa rank for school enrollment, primary, female?
- South Africa ranks 120th out of 167 countries with data for 2017.
- Is school enrollment, primary, female rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.4%. 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 (UIS), UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of School enrollment, primary, female (% net). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Net enrollment rate is the ratio of children of official school age who are enrolled in school to the population of the corresponding official school age. Primary education provides children with basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills along with an elementary understanding of such subjects as history, geography, natural science, social science, art, and music.