Total net attendance rate, primary, rural, both sexes in South Africa

South Africa: Total net attendance rate, primary, rural, both sexes was 97.9% in 2024. ▬ Flat

Latest (2024)
97.9%
Change on year
up 0.1%
World rank
13th
of 34 countries
All-time high
98.8%
in 2016
All-time low
97.4%
in 2022
Years of data
6
2016–2024

Total net attendance rate, primary, rural, both sexes in South Africa, 2016–2024

0204060801002016202020242016: 98.8 %2020: 97.5 %2021: 98.3 %2022: 97.4 %2023: 97.8 %2024: 97.9 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2024, total net attendance rate, primary, rural, both sexes in South Africa stood at 97.9%.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.1% on the previous year and down 0.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, total net attendance rate, primary, rural, both sexes in South Africa peaked at 98.8% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 97.4%, in 2022.

That places South Africa 13th out of 34 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.

Total net attendance rate, primary, rural, both sexes in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Total net attendance rate, primary, rural, both sexes (%) in South Africa, 2016 to 2024.
Year % Change
2016 98.8%
2020 97.5% -1.3%
2021 98.3% +0.8%
2022 97.4% -0.9%
2023 97.8% +0.4%
2024 97.9% +0.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 98.8% 98.8% 98.8% 1
2020s 97.8% 97.4% 98.3% 5

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 10 Colombia 98.1% compare
  2. 11 Ecuador 98.1% compare
  3. 12 El Salvador 97.9% compare
  4. 14 Dominican Republic 97.9% compare
  5. 15 Mexico 97.8% compare
  6. 16 Panama 97.5% compare

See the full ranking of 34 places →

More education data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is total net attendance rate, primary, rural, both sexes in South Africa?
Total net attendance rate, primary, rural, both sexes in South Africa was 97.9% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest total net attendance rate, primary, rural, both sexes recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 98.8% in 2016.
What is the lowest total net attendance rate, primary, rural, both sexes recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 97.4% in 2022.
How does South Africa rank for total net attendance rate, primary, rural, both sexes?
South Africa ranks 13th out of 34 countries with data for 2024.
Is total net attendance rate, primary, rural, both sexes rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 0.9%. 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, rural, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Total net attendance rate, primary, rural, both sexes in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 09 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/total-net-attendance-rate-primary-rural-both-sexes-percent-2/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Total net attendance rate, primary, rural, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
34 places, 401 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release