School life expectancy, secondary, both sexes in South Africa
South Africa: School life expectancy, secondary, both sexes was 5.26 years in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
5.26 years
Change on year
up 1.2%
World rank
123rd
of 214 countries
All-time high
5.28 years
in 2021
All-time low
3.19 years
in 1989
Years of data
29
1989–2023
School life expectancy, secondary, both sexes in South Africa, 1989–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
The most recent figure for school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes in South Africa is 5.26 years, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.2% on the previous year and up 14.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes in South Africa peaked at 5.28 years in 2021 and was at its lowest, 3.19 years, in 1989.
South Africa ranks 123rd of 214 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 29 years of available data.
School life expectancy, secondary, both sexes in South Africa, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 3.19 years | — |
| 1990 | 3.39 years | +6.2% |
| 1991 | 3.65 years | +7.5% |
| 1994 | 4.46 years | +22.4% |
| 1998 | 4.14 years | -7.3% |
| 1999 | 4.09 years | -1.2% |
| 2000 | 3.86 years | -5.7% |
| 2001 | 3.85 years | -0.2% |
| 2002 | 3.83 years | -0.5% |
| 2003 | 3.85 years | +0.6% |
| 2004 | 3.97 years | +3.0% |
| 2005 | 4.04 years | +1.8% |
| 2006 | 4.19 years | +3.7% |
| 2007 | 4.28 years | +2.1% |
| 2008 | 4.2 years | -1.7% |
| 2009 | 4.3 years | +2.3% |
| 2010 | 4.33 years | +0.7% |
| 2011 | 4.45 years | +2.7% |
| 2012 | 4.61 years | +3.6% |
| 2014 | 5.06 years | +9.8% |
| 2015 | 5.26 years | +4.0% |
| 2016 | 5.05 years | -4.0% |
| 2017 | 5.13 years | +1.7% |
| 2018 | 4.95 years | -3.7% |
| 2019 | 5.08 years | +2.6% |
| 2020 | 5.1 years | +0.4% |
| 2021 | 5.28 years | +3.6% |
| 2022 | 5.2 years | -1.6% |
| 2023 | 5.26 years | +1.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 3.19 years | 3.19 years | 3.19 years | 1 |
| 1990s | 3.95 years | 3.39 years | 4.46 years | 5 |
| 2000s | 4.04 years | 3.83 years | 4.3 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.88 years | 4.33 years | 5.26 years | 9 |
| 2020s | 5.21 years | 5.1 years | 5.28 years | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 120 Sao Tome and Principe 5.38 years compare
- 121 Suriname 5.33 years compare
- 122 Montserrat 5.26 years compare
- 124 Micronesia (country) 5.24 years compare
- 125 French Polynesia 5.23 years compare
- 126 Marshall Islands 5.21 years compare
More education data for South Africa
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 3.65 million (2023)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), annual growth rate -1.31 % change on previous year (2023)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), per capita 0.0578 units per person (2023)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 3.87 million (2023)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), annual growth rate -1.55 % change on previous year (2023)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), per capita 0.0612 units per person (2023)
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes in South Africa?
- School life expectancy, secondary, both sexes in South Africa was 5.26 years in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 5.28 years in 2021.
- What is the lowest school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.19 years in 1989.
- How does South Africa rank for school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes?
- South Africa ranks 123rd out of 214 countries with data for 2023.
- Is school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.1%. 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, secondary, both sexes (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release