Survival rate to Grade 4 of primary education, female in South Africa

South Africa: Survival rate to Grade 4 of primary education, female was 95.5% in 2017. ▲ Rising

Latest (2017)
95.5%
Change on year
up 1.8%
World rank
91st
of 164 countries
All-time high
95.5%
in 2017
All-time low
67.9%
in 1999
Years of data
8
1990–2017

Survival rate to Grade 4 of primary education, female in South Africa, 1990–2017

0204060801001990200320171990: 79.1 %1998: 82.9 %1999: 67.9 %2001: 90.9 %2002: 88.7 %2003: 84.9 %2015: 93.9 %2017: 95.5 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for survival rate to grade 4 of primary education, female in South Africa is 95.5%, measured in 2017. That is the highest value across all 8 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.8% on the previous year and up 12.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, survival rate to grade 4 of primary education, female in South Africa peaked at 95.5% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 67.9%, in 1999.

South Africa ranks 91st of 164 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

Survival rate to Grade 4 of primary education, female in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Survival rate to Grade 4 of primary education, female (%) in South Africa, 1990 to 2017.
Year % Change
1990 79.1%
1998 82.9% +4.8%
1999 67.9% -18.1%
2001 90.9% +33.9%
2002 88.7% -2.5%
2003 84.9% -4.3%
2015 93.9% +10.6%
2017 95.5% +1.8%

South Africa compared with similar countries

  • South Africa's 95.5% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 97.1%, 98% of the median. (49 countries reporting)
  • South Africa's 95.5% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 82.3%, 1.2× the median. (41 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 76.7% 67.9% 82.9% 3
2000s 88.2% 84.9% 90.9% 3
2010s 94.7% 93.9% 95.5% 2

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 88 Palestine, State of 95.7% compare
  2. 89 Namibia 95.7% compare
  3. 90 Colombia 95.6% compare
  4. 92 Cape Verde 95.1% compare
  5. 93 Saint Lucia 94.6% compare
  6. 94 Algeria 94.6% compare

See the full ranking of 164 places →

More education data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is survival rate to grade 4 of primary education, female in South Africa?
Survival rate to grade 4 of primary education, female in South Africa was 95.5% in 2017, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest survival rate to grade 4 of primary education, female recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 95.5% in 2017.
What is the lowest survival rate to grade 4 of primary education, female recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 67.9% in 1999.
How does South Africa rank for survival rate to grade 4 of primary education, female?
South Africa ranks 91st out of 164 countries with data for 2017.
Is survival rate to grade 4 of primary education, female rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 12.5%. 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, published as part of Survival rate to Grade 4 of primary education, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Survival rate to Grade 4 of primary education, female in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 15 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/survival-rate-to-grade-4-of-primary-education-female-percent/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Survival rate to Grade 4 of primary education, female (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
164 places, 3,248 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

Percentage of a cohort of female students enrolled in the first grade of primary education in a given school year who are expected to reach grade 4, regardless of repetition. Divide the total number of students belonging to a school-cohort who reached each successive grade of primary education by the number of students in the school-cohort i.e. those originally enrolled in the first grade of primary education, and multiply the result by 100. The survival rate is calculated on the basis of the reconstructed cohort method, which uses data on enrolment and repeaters for two consecutive years.