Education in South Africa

2,915 indicators covering education for South Africa.

IndicatorLatest Year10-yr change Rank
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
Population of the official entrance age to secondary general 541,925 2025 up 11.5% 24th
Population of the official entrance age to secondary general 537,767 2025 up 14.2% 23rd
Population of the official entrance age to secondary general 1.08 million 2025 up 12.8% 23rd
Start of the academic school year 2,023 tertiary education 2023 up 0.5% 31st
Theoretical duration of secondary education 5 years 2025 unchanged 189th
Theoretical duration of upper secondary education 3 years 2025 unchanged 52nd
Official entrance age to upper secondary education 16 years 2025 unchanged 10th
Theoretical duration of lower secondary education 2 years 2025 unchanged 199th
Official entrance age to lower secondary education 14 years 2025 unchanged 1st
Start of the academic school year 2,025 2025 up 0.5% 1st
Theoretical duration of pre-primary education 4 years 2025 unchanged 1st
Official entrance age to pre-primary education 3 years 2025 unchanged 56th
Theoretical duration of primary education 7 years 2025 unchanged 3rd
Official entrance age to primary education 7 years 2025 unchanged 1st
Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male 444,590 2023 up 2.6% 40th
Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female 748,573 2023 up 24.3% 34th
Teachers in primary education, male 61,727 2023 up 32.7% 33rd
Teachers in primary education, female 225,583 2023 up 29.6% 21st
Percentage of teachers in primary education who are female 78.5% 2023 down 0.5% 98th
Gross enrolment ratio, primary, both sexes 101.8% 2023 down 2.2% 95th
School life expectancy, primary, both sexes 7.12 years 2023 down 2.2% 25th
Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in vocational 5.8% 2023 up 33.1% 110th
Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in vocational 4.7% 2023 down 20.0% 147th
Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes 1.19 million 2023 up 15.2% 37th
Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general 94.2% 2023 down 1.5% 113th
Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general 95.3% 2023 up 1.3% 80th
Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes 818,404 2023 down 0.5% 42nd
Enrolment in secondary education, male 2.68 million 2023 up 12.9% 23rd
Enrolment in secondary education, female 2.82 million 2023 up 14.1% 23rd
Teachers in primary education, both sexes 287,310 2023 up 30.3% 22nd
Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in vocational 5.2% 2023 up 3.1% 132nd
Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general 94.8% 2023 down 0.2% 95th
Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes 5.50 million 2023 up 13.5% 23rd
Enrolment in primary education, male 3.87 million 2023 up 6.3% 22nd
Enrolment in primary education, female 3.65 million 2023 up 6.7% 21st
School age population, upper secondary education, male 1.64 million 2025 up 4.7% 22nd
School age population, upper secondary education, female 1.63 million 2025 up 6.3% 20th
School age population, upper secondary education, both sexes 3.27 million 2025 up 5.5% 21st
School age population, secondary education, male 2.73 million 2025 up 6.7% 30th
School age population, secondary education, female 2.71 million 2025 up 8.7% 30th
School age population, secondary education, both sexes 5.43 million 2025 up 7.7% 29th
School age population, tertiary education, male 2.58 million 2025 down 7.5% 22nd
School age population, tertiary education, female 2.52 million 2025 down 7.8% 22nd
School age population, tertiary education, both sexes 5.10 million 2025 down 7.7% 22nd
School age population, lower secondary education, male 1.09 million 2025 up 10.0% 45th
School age population, lower secondary education, female 1.08 million 2025 up 12.5% 43rd
School age population, lower secondary education, both sexes 2.17 million 2025 up 11.2% 45th
School age population, last grade of primary education, male 536,578 2025 up 11.8% 24th
School age population, last grade of primary education, female 532,439 2025 up 14.5% 24th
School age population, last grade of primary education, both sexes 1.07 million 2025 up 13.2% 24th
School age population, primary education, male 3.68 million 2025 up 3.1% 21st
School age population, primary education, female 3.66 million 2025 up 5.6% 20th
School age population, primary education, both sexes 7.34 million 2025 up 4.3% 21st
Population of the official entrance age to primary education, male 536,911 2025 down 2.8% 26th
Population of the official entrance age to primary education, female 534,819 2025 down 0.4% 25th
Population of the official entrance age to primary education, both 1.07 million 2025 down 1.6% 26th