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

South Africa: Survival rate to Grade 4 of primary education, male was 93.4% in 2017. ▲ Rising

Latest (2017)
93.4%
Change on year
up 6.2%
World rank
93rd
of 164 countries
All-time high
93.4%
in 2017
All-time low
70.9%
in 1999
Years of data
8
1990–2017

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

0204060801001990200320171990: 73.6 %1998: 81.3 %1999: 70.9 %2001: 86.2 %2002: 85.1 %2003: 84.1 %2015: 88 %2017: 93.4 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 93.4% for survival rate to grade 4 of primary education, male in 2017. That is the highest value across all 8 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 6.2% on the previous year and up 11.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, survival rate to grade 4 of primary education, male in South Africa peaked at 93.4% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 70.9%, in 1999.

South Africa ranks 93rd of 164 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

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

Annual values for Survival rate to Grade 4 of primary education, male (%) in South Africa, 1990 to 2017.
Year % Change
1990 73.6%
1998 81.3% +10.5%
1999 70.9% -12.7%
2001 86.2% +21.6%
2002 85.1% -1.3%
2003 84.1% -1.2%
2015 88.0% +4.6%
2017 93.4% +6.2%

South Africa compared with similar countries

  • South Africa's 93.4% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 96.1%, 97% of the median. (49 countries reporting)
  • South Africa's 93.4% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 80.8%, 1.2× the median. (41 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 75.3% 70.9% 81.3% 3
2000s 85.1% 84.1% 86.2% 3
2010s 90.7% 88.0% 93.4% 2

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 90 Namibia 94.0% compare
  2. 91 Aruba 93.8% compare
  3. 92 Fiji 93.6% compare
  4. 94 Qatar 93.4% compare
  5. 95 Netherlands 93.1%
  6. 96 United Arab Emirates 92.3% 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, male in South Africa?
Survival rate to grade 4 of primary education, male in South Africa was 93.4% in 2017, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest survival rate to grade 4 of primary education, male recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 93.4% in 2017.
What is the lowest survival rate to grade 4 of primary education, male recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 70.9% in 1999.
How does South Africa rank for survival rate to grade 4 of primary education, male?
South Africa ranks 93rd out of 164 countries with data for 2017.
Is survival rate to grade 4 of primary education, male rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 11.1%. 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 Survival rate to Grade 4 of primary education, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Survival rate to Grade 4 of primary education, male in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 14 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/survival-rate-to-grade-4-of-primary-education-male-percent/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Survival rate to Grade 4 of primary education, male (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
164 places, 3,247 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

Percentage of a cohort of male 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.