School enrollment, primary, male in South Africa
South Africa: School enrollment, primary, male was 104.3% in 2023. ▲ Rising
School enrollment, primary, male in South Africa, 1970–2023
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % gross.
Analysis
In 2023, school enrollment, primary, male in South Africa stood at 104.3%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.7% on the previous year and down 1.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school enrollment, primary, male in South Africa peaked at 110.3% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 78.8%, in 1986.
That places South Africa 67th out of 203 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
School enrollment, primary, male in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % gross | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 99.3% | — |
| 1986 | 78.8% | -20.7% |
| 1987 | 80.1% | +1.7% |
| 1988 | 80.6% | +0.6% |
| 1989 | 104.3% | +29.4% |
| 1990 | 103.7% | -0.6% |
| 1991 | 103.1% | -0.6% |
| 1994 | 103.2% | +0.1% |
| 1995 | 101.4% | -1.8% |
| 1997 | 98.6% | -2.7% |
| 1998 | 97.8% | -0.8% |
| 1999 | 97.9% | +0.1% |
| 2000 | 94.0% | -4.0% |
| 2001 | 94.2% | +0.2% |
| 2002 | 96.5% | +2.4% |
| 2003 | 97.9% | +1.4% |
| 2004 | 99.0% | +1.1% |
| 2005 | 98.7% | -0.3% |
| 2006 | 99.8% | +1.1% |
| 2007 | 102.1% | +2.3% |
| 2008 | 103.3% | +1.2% |
| 2009 | 103.6% | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 104.7% | +1.0% |
| 2011 | 105.4% | +0.7% |
| 2012 | 106.2% | +0.7% |
| 2013 | 105.6% | -0.5% |
| 2014 | 105.6% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 110.3% | +4.5% |
| 2016 | 104.8% | -5.0% |
| 2017 | 103.1% | -1.7% |
| 2018 | 102.2% | -0.9% |
| 2019 | 102.9% | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 103.6% | +0.7% |
| 2021 | 104.2% | +0.5% |
| 2022 | 105.1% | +0.9% |
| 2023 | 104.3% | -0.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 99.3% | 99.3% | 99.3% | 1 |
| 1980s | 85.9% | 78.8% | 104.3% | 4 |
| 1990s | 100.8% | 97.8% | 103.7% | 7 |
| 2000s | 98.9% | 94.0% | 103.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 105.1% | 102.2% | 110.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 104.3% | 103.6% | 105.1% | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 64 Hong Kong, China 104.7% compare
- 65 Netherlands 104.4% compare
- 66 Brazil 104.3% compare
- 68 Italy 104.1% compare
- 69 Mauritania 104.0% compare
- 70 Cape Verde 103.9% compare
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 enrollment, primary, male in South Africa?
- School enrollment, primary, male in South Africa was 104.3% in 2023, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest school enrollment, primary, male recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 110.3% in 2015.
- What is the lowest school enrollment, primary, male recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 78.8% in 1986.
- How does South Africa rank for school enrollment, primary, male?
- South Africa ranks 67th out of 203 countries with data for 2023.
- Is school enrollment, primary, male rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of School enrollment, primary, male (% gross). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
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. 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.