Total net attendance rate, primary, both sexes in South Africa
South Africa: Total net attendance rate, primary, both sexes was 97.3% in 2024. ▬ Flat
Latest (2024)
97.3%
Change on year
up 0.4%
World rank
16th
of 36 countries
All-time high
98.9%
in 2016
All-time low
96.9%
in 2023
Years of data
6
2016–2024
Total net attendance rate, primary, both sexes in South Africa, 2016–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, total net attendance rate, primary, both sexes in South Africa stood at 97.3%.
That represents a change of up 0.4% on the previous year and down 1.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, total net attendance rate, primary, both sexes in South Africa peaked at 98.9% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 96.9%, in 2023.
South Africa ranks 16th of 36 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Total net attendance rate, primary, both sexes in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 98.9% | — |
| 2020 | 97.8% | -1.2% |
| 2021 | 98.4% | +0.7% |
| 2022 | 97.2% | -1.3% |
| 2023 | 96.9% | -0.3% |
| 2024 | 97.3% | +0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 98.9% | 98.9% | 98.9% | 1 |
| 2020s | 97.5% | 96.9% | 98.4% | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 13 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 98.3%
- 14 El Salvador 97.7% compare
- 15 United States of America 97.4% compare
- 17 Lesotho 96.8% compare
- 18 Colombia 96.7% compare
- 19 Nepal 96.5% compare
More education data for South Africa
- 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)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is total net attendance rate, primary, both sexes in South Africa?
- Total net attendance rate, primary, both sexes in South Africa was 97.3% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest total net attendance rate, primary, both sexes recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 98.9% in 2016.
- What is the lowest total net attendance rate, primary, both sexes recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 96.9% in 2023.
- How does South Africa rank for total net attendance rate, primary, both sexes?
- South Africa ranks 16th out of 36 countries with data for 2024.
- Is total net attendance rate, primary, both sexes rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Total net attendance rate, primary, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 6 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release