School life expectancy, post-secondary non-tertiary, both sexes in South Africa
South Africa: School life expectancy, post-secondary non-tertiary, both sexes was 0.3029 years in 2023. ▲ Rising
School life expectancy, post-secondary non-tertiary, both sexes in South Africa, 1999–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 0.3029 years for school life expectancy, post-secondary non-tertiary, both sexes in 2023.
The figure is up 11.9% on the previous year and up 20.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school life expectancy, post-secondary non-tertiary, both sexes in South Africa peaked at 0.3548 years in 2017 and was at its lowest, 0.1285 years, in 2005.
That places South Africa 44th out of 127 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 22 years of available data.
School life expectancy, post-secondary non-tertiary, both sexes in South Africa, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 0.1578 years | — |
| 2000 | 0.1623 years | +2.8% |
| 2001 | 0.1391 years | -14.3% |
| 2002 | 0.157 years | +12.9% |
| 2003 | 0.1563 years | -0.4% |
| 2004 | 0.1586 years | +1.5% |
| 2005 | 0.1285 years | -19.0% |
| 2009 | 0.1317 years | +2.5% |
| 2010 | 0.13 years | -1.3% |
| 2011 | 0.1443 years | +11.0% |
| 2012 | 0.1943 years | +34.7% |
| 2013 | 0.2515 years | +29.4% |
| 2014 | 0.2894 years | +15.1% |
| 2015 | 0.3206 years | +10.8% |
| 2016 | 0.3246 years | +1.2% |
| 2017 | 0.3548 years | +9.3% |
| 2018 | 0.3429 years | -3.3% |
| 2019 | 0.3488 years | +1.7% |
| 2020 | 0.1988 years | -43.0% |
| 2021 | 0.2925 years | +47.1% |
| 2022 | 0.2707 years | -7.4% |
| 2023 | 0.3029 years | +11.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.1578 years | 0.1578 years | 0.1578 years | 1 |
| 2000s | 0.1476 years | 0.1285 years | 0.1623 years | 7 |
| 2010s | 0.2701 years | 0.13 years | 0.3548 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.2662 years | 0.1988 years | 0.3029 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 41 Brazil 0.3133 years compare
- 42 Saudi Arabia 0.3101 years compare
- 43 Tanzania, United Republic of 0.3055 years compare
- 45 Saint Lucia 0.2997 years compare
- 46 Lithuania 0.2983 years compare
- 47 Azerbaijan 0.2741 years compare
More education data for South Africa
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 407,696 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 5.50 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school life expectancy, post-secondary non-tertiary, both sexes in South Africa?
- School life expectancy, post-secondary non-tertiary, both sexes in South Africa was 0.3029 years in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school life expectancy, post-secondary non-tertiary, both sexes recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 0.3548 years in 2017.
- What is the lowest school life expectancy, post-secondary non-tertiary, both sexes recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1285 years in 2005.
- How does South Africa rank for school life expectancy, post-secondary non-tertiary, both sexes?
- South Africa ranks 44th out of 127 countries with data for 2023.
- Is school life expectancy, post-secondary non-tertiary, both sexes rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 20.4%. 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, published as part of School life expectancy, post-secondary non-tertiary, both sexes (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release