Education in South Africa 852 indicators covering education for South Africa. IndicatorLatest Year10-yr change Rank Average years of schooling among adults 11.61 years 2023 up 15.6% 51st Average years of schooling vs. expected years of schooling 11.61 years 2023 up 15.6% 51st Average years of schooling vs. GDP per capita 11.61 years 2023 up 15.6% 51st Share enrolled in private institutions at the pre-primary education level 6.8% 2023 down 2.5% 174th Average years of schooling, males vs. females 11.72 years 2023 up 14.3% 51st Expected years of schooling, males vs. females 13.2 years 2023 down 2.7% 96th Primary completion rate, male 96.2% 2023 up 5.0% 80th Primary completion rate, female 94.5% 2023 up 3.7% 102nd Duration of compulsory education 9 years 2025 unchanged 120th Official entrance age to compulsory education 7 years 2025 unchanged 1st Government expenditure on education, total 6.0% 2024 up 9.7% 27th Secondary education, general pupils 4.70 million 2017 up 3.2% 21st Lower secondary completion rate, total 88.3% 2023 up 9.7% 96th Gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes 99.3% 2018 down 1.0% 79th School life expectancy, primary and secondary, both sexes 11.92 years 2018 down 1.2% 79th School enrollment, preprimary, male 17.4% 2020 down 5.4% 169th School enrollment, preprimary, female 17.7% 2020 down 4.9% 170th Persistence to last grade of primary, total 95.4% 2022 up 19.7% 68th School life expectancy, tertiary, both sexes 1.25 years 2018 up 11.3% 108th Government expenditure on education, total 19.1% 2025 up 2.4% 26th Secondary education, general pupils 51.9% 2017 up 0.7% 30th Lower secondary completion rate, female 91.4% 2023 up 8.6% 91st Lower secondary completion rate, male 85.2% 2023 up 10.7% 99th Children out of school 6.1% 2023 up 23.4% 74th Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes 824,169 number 2018 up 41.3% 39th Share of children in primary school age who are in school 93.9% 2023 down 1.2% 131st Secondary education, duration 5 years 2025 unchanged 183rd Primary education, pupils 7.52 million 2023 up 6.5% 21st Primary education, duration 7 years 2025 unchanged 3rd Secondary education, pupils 5.50 million 2023 up 13.5% 23rd Share of primary-school-age children who are out of school vs. GDP per capita 6.1% 2023 up 23.4% 77th Gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, male 99.2% 2018 down 1.2% 79th Gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, female 99.5% 2018 down 0.9% 86th School life expectancy, primary and secondary, male 11.92 years 2018 down 1.3% 77th School life expectancy, primary and secondary, gender parity index 1 GPI 2018 up 0.2% 95th School life expectancy, primary and secondary, female 11.93 years 2018 down 1.1% 81st Persistence to last grade of primary, male 94.0% 2022 up 33.2% 69th Persistence to last grade of primary, female 96.8% 2022 up 7.2% 55th Secondary education, vocational pupils 355,438 2017 up 33.3% 32nd Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education 94.1% 2023 down 2.4% 107th Number of under-five deaths, male 22,681 2024 down 12.2% 28th Number of under-five deaths, female 18,754 2024 down 13.0% 28th Number of infant deaths, male 15,705 2024 down 21.6% 31st Number of infant deaths, female 12,865 2024 down 23.1% 29th School life expectancy, tertiary, male 1.02 years 2018 up 9.7% 104th School life expectancy, tertiary, gender parity index 1.45 GPI 2018 up 2.8% 43rd School life expectancy, tertiary, female 1.48 years 2018 up 12.7% 105th Teachers in primary education, female 196,319 number 2015 up 11.5% 23rd Net enrollment rates in primary education, adjusted gender parity index 1 index 2023 down 4.9% 81st Children out of school, female 5.9% 2023 up 64.7% 78th Children out of school, male 6.2% 2023 down 30.3% 80th Enrolment in pre-primary education, female 408,859 number 2018 up 40.4% 39th Percentage of enrolment in pre-primary education in private institutio 5.5% 2018 up 3.3% 164th Secondary education, vocational pupils 48.5% 2017 up 18.9% 40th Share of male students in secondary education enrolled in vocational p 7.5% 2017 up 12.1% 103rd School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes 13.54 years 2018 up 0.3% 89th Productivity vs. educational attainment 19.42 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour 2023 down 15.2% 74th Gross intake ratio in first grade of primary education, total 103.7% 2017 down 13.9% 79th Vocational and Technical enrolment (% of total secondary enrolment), f 5.8% 2023 up 33.1% 104th Unemployment, total (% of total labor force) 32.4% 2025 up 28.8% 2nd ← Previous Page 2 of 15 Next →