Share of the population with lower secondary education in South Africa
South Africa: Share of the population with lower secondary education was 85.4% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of the population with lower secondary education in South Africa, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 85.4% for share of the population with lower secondary education in 2024. That is the highest value across all 27 years on record.
The figure is up 9.8% on the previous year and up 11.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of the population with lower secondary education in South Africa peaked at 85.4% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 28.1%, in 1980.
South Africa ranks 54th of 135 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.
Share of the population with lower secondary education in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 31.1% | — |
| 1980 | 28.1% | -9.4% |
| 1985 | 28.9% | +2.7% |
| 2001 | 55.6% | +92.5% |
| 2002 | 61.4% | +10.5% |
| 2003 | 64.0% | +4.3% |
| 2004 | 64.4% | +0.5% |
| 2005 | 65.4% | +1.6% |
| 2006 | 66.4% | +1.4% |
| 2007 | 67.3% | +1.4% |
| 2008 | 68.0% | +1.1% |
| 2009 | 71.9% | +5.8% |
| 2010 | 72.2% | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 73.1% | +1.2% |
| 2012 | 75.3% | +3.0% |
| 2013 | 68.6% | -8.9% |
| 2014 | 76.6% | +11.6% |
| 2015 | 77.2% | +0.8% |
| 2016 | 71.1% | -7.9% |
| 2017 | 72.3% | +1.7% |
| 2018 | 73.5% | +1.6% |
| 2019 | 74.1% | +0.8% |
| 2020 | 79.3% | +7.0% |
| 2021 | 83.9% | +5.9% |
| 2022 | 76.6% | -8.7% |
| 2023 | 77.8% | +1.5% |
| 2024 | 85.4% | +9.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 31.1% | 31.1% | 31.1% | 1 |
| 1980s | 28.5% | 28.1% | 28.9% | 2 |
| 2000s | 64.9% | 55.6% | 71.9% | 9 |
| 2010s | 73.4% | 68.6% | 77.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 80.6% | 76.6% | 85.4% | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
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 share of the population with lower secondary education in South Africa?
- Share of the population with lower secondary education in South Africa was 85.4% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of the population with lower secondary education recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 85.4% in 2024.
- What is the lowest share of the population with lower secondary education recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 28.1% in 1980.
- How does South Africa rank for share of the population with lower secondary education?
- South Africa ranks 54th out of 135 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of the population with lower secondary education rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.5%. 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 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of the population with lower secondary education. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of adults aged 25 and older who have completed lower secondary education or higher.