Vocational and Technical enrolment (% of total secondary enrolment) in South Africa
South Africa: Vocational and Technical enrolment (% of total secondary enrolment) was 5.8% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Vocational and Technical enrolment (% of total secondary enrolment) in South Africa, 1989–2023
Source: World Bank.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 5.8% for vocational and technical enrolment (% of total secondary enrolment) in 2023.
That represents a change of up 5.3% on the previous year and up 33.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, vocational and technical enrolment (% of total secondary enrolment) in South Africa peaked at 7.1% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 0.9%, in 1991.
That places South Africa 104th out of 202 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 29 years of available data.
Vocational and Technical enrolment (% of total secondary enrolment) in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 1.1% | — |
| 1990 | 1.1% | -1.4% |
| 1991 | 0.9% | -18.8% |
| 1994 | 1.0% | +16.6% |
| 1998 | 3.1% | +208.0% |
| 1999 | 3.1% | +0.4% |
| 2000 | 3.8% | +21.9% |
| 2001 | 4.2% | +9.1% |
| 2002 | 4.4% | +4.1% |
| 2003 | 4.5% | +4.3% |
| 2004 | 4.7% | +2.5% |
| 2005 | 3.7% | -20.4% |
| 2006 | 4.0% | +8.0% |
| 2007 | 4.4% | +10.6% |
| 2008 | 4.7% | +5.9% |
| 2009 | 4.8% | +1.9% |
| 2010 | 4.1% | -14.2% |
| 2011 | 4.1% | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 4.3% | +5.4% |
| 2014 | 6.3% | +44.4% |
| 2015 | 7.0% | +11.3% |
| 2016 | 7.1% | +2.6% |
| 2017 | 6.6% | -7.7% |
| 2018 | 6.8% | +3.0% |
| 2019 | 6.9% | +2.2% |
| 2020 | 5.9% | -15.1% |
| 2021 | 6.2% | +5.0% |
| 2022 | 5.5% | -11.6% |
| 2023 | 5.8% | +5.3% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 5.8% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 5.9%, 98% of the median. (56 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 5.8% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 4.2%, 1.4× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Vocational and Technical enrolment (% of total secondary enrolment) in South Africa changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | +208.0% | 1.0% | 3.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 1.1% | 1.1% | 1.1% | 1 |
| 1990s | 1.8% | 0.9% | 3.1% | 5 |
| 2000s | 4.3% | 3.7% | 4.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.9% | 4.1% | 7.1% | 9 |
| 2020s | 5.8% | 5.5% | 6.2% | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More education data for South Africa
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 181,739 (2023)
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is vocational and technical enrolment (% of total secondary enrolment) in South Africa?
- Vocational and technical enrolment (% of total secondary enrolment) in South Africa was 5.8% in 2023, according to the World Bank.
- What is the highest vocational and technical enrolment (% of total secondary enrolment) recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 7.1% in 2016.
- What is the lowest vocational and technical enrolment (% of total secondary enrolment) recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.9% in 1991.
- How does South Africa rank for vocational and technical enrolment (% of total secondary enrolment)?
- South Africa ranks 104th out of 202 countries with data for 2023.
- Is vocational and technical enrolment (% of total secondary enrolment) rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 33.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from the World Bank, published as part of Vocational and Technical enrolment (% of total secondary enrolment), female. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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