Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general in South Africa
South Africa: Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general was 94.2% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general in South Africa, 1989–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general in South Africa is 94.2%, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.3% on the previous year and down 1.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general in South Africa peaked at 99.1% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 92.9%, in 2016.
That places South Africa 113th out of 217 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 29 years of available data.
Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 98.9% | — |
| 1990 | 98.9% | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 99.1% | +0.2% |
| 1994 | 99.0% | -0.1% |
| 1998 | 96.9% | -2.1% |
| 1999 | 96.9% | -0.0% |
| 2000 | 96.2% | -0.7% |
| 2001 | 95.8% | -0.4% |
| 2002 | 95.6% | -0.2% |
| 2003 | 95.5% | -0.2% |
| 2004 | 95.3% | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 96.3% | +1.0% |
| 2006 | 96.0% | -0.3% |
| 2007 | 95.6% | -0.4% |
| 2008 | 95.3% | -0.3% |
| 2009 | 95.2% | -0.1% |
| 2010 | 95.9% | +0.7% |
| 2011 | 95.9% | -0.0% |
| 2012 | 95.7% | -0.2% |
| 2014 | 93.7% | -2.0% |
| 2015 | 93.0% | -0.8% |
| 2016 | 92.9% | -0.2% |
| 2017 | 93.4% | +0.6% |
| 2018 | 93.2% | -0.2% |
| 2019 | 93.1% | -0.2% |
| 2020 | 94.1% | +1.1% |
| 2021 | 93.8% | -0.3% |
| 2022 | 94.5% | +0.8% |
| 2023 | 94.2% | -0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 98.9% | 98.9% | 98.9% | 1 |
| 1990s | 98.2% | 96.9% | 99.1% | 5 |
| 2000s | 95.7% | 95.2% | 96.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 94.1% | 92.9% | 95.9% | 9 |
| 2020s | 94.2% | 93.8% | 94.5% | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 110 Uganda 94.4% compare
- 111 Azerbaijan 94.3% compare
- 112 Lithuania 94.2% compare
- 114 Sao Tome and Principe 94.1% compare
- 115 Mongolia 94.0% compare
- 116 Republic of Korea 94.0% compare
More education data for South Africa
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 181,739 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 339,638 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 410,708 (2023)
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general in South Africa?
- Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general in South Africa was 94.2% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 99.1% in 1991.
- What is the lowest share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 92.9% in 2016.
- How does South Africa rank for share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general?
- South Africa ranks 113th out of 217 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general programmes, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release