Education in South Africa 2,928 indicators covering education for South Africa. IndicatorLatest Year10-yr change Rank Government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP 6.0% 2024 up 9.7% 27th Primary education, pupils 48.7% 2017 down 0.4% 93rd Inequality in education 0.1729 2023 up 7.7% 75th Repetition rate in Grade 4 of primary education, both sexes 9.7% 2017 up 2.2% 35th Gross enrolment ratio, upper secondary, female 104.5% 2018 up 10.4% 44th Gross enrolment ratio, upper secondary, male 95.5% 2018 up 9.8% 61st Gross enrolment ratio, upper secondary, gender parity index 1.09 GPI 2018 up 0.6% 55th Enrolment in upper secondary education, female 1.72 million 2023 up 18.4% 16th Out-of-school rate for adolescents of lower secondary school age 0.8228 modelled data 2025 down 1.6% 136th Number of years of free pre-primary education guaranteed in legal 0 2025 — 99th Number of years of free primary and secondary education guaranteed in 12 2025 unchanged 25th End of the academic school year 2,023 tertiary education 2023 up 0.5% 106th Outbound mobility ratio to the Pacific, male (UIS estimate) 0.1% 2023 up 8.3% 60th Enrolment in upper secondary education, male 1.53 million 2023 up 15.3% 18th Tertiary education, academic staff 37.4% 1994 up 17.9% 108th Start month of the academic school year 1 tertiary education 2023 unchanged 174th End month of the academic school year 12 tertiary education 2023 unchanged 1st Repeaters in Grade 1 of lower secondary general education, both sexes 137,970 2023 up 20.7% 7th Out-of-school rate for children of primary school age, adjusted 0.9167 modelled data 2025 up 17.3% 113th Repetition rate in Grade 1 of primary education, female 9.5% 2017 down 38.5% 25th Repetition rate in Grade 1 of primary education, male 13.4% 2017 down 19.7% 22nd Outbound mobility ratio to Central and Eastern Europe, male (UIS) 0.1% 2023 up 719.7% 128th Gross enrolment ratio, lower secondary, both sexes 103.8% 2023 up 2.9% 53rd Outbound mobility ratio to Latin America, male (UIS estimate) 0.1% 2023 up 33.4% 62nd Persistence to grade 5, female 97.8% 2022 up 5.4% 41st Persistence to grade 5, male 96.4% 2022 up 19.1% 46th Gross enrolment ratio, primary and lower secondary, both sexes 102.2% 2023 down 1.5% 68th Gross enrolment ratio, lower secondary, female 102.0% 2023 up 0.9% 63rd Gross enrolment ratio, lower secondary, male 105.7% 2023 up 4.9% 43rd Gross enrolment ratio, lower secondary, adjusted gender parity index 0.965 GPIA 2023 down 3.9% 160th Outbound mobility ratio to North America and Western Europe, male 0.9% 2023 up 58.9% 157th Outbound mobility ratio to Latin America and the Caribbean, male (UIS) 0.1% 2023 up 33.8% 64th Outbound mobility ratio, all regions, male (UIS estimate) 1.6% 2023 up 76.7% 173rd School enrollment, secondary 71.9% 2017 up 8.7% 96th Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female 2.24 million 2024 up 56.0% 17th School life expectancy, primary and lower secondary, both sexes 9.22 years 2023 down 1.4% 81st Gross enrolment ratio, primary and lower secondary, female 99.8% 2023 down 2.8% 92nd Gross enrolment ratio, primary and lower secondary, adjusted gender 0.9543 GPIA 2023 down 2.6% 176th Gross enrolment ratio, primary and lower secondary, male 104.6% 2023 down 0.2% 50th Preprimary education, duration 7 years 2025 unchanged 1st Repeaters in Grade 5 of primary education, female 10,819 2023 down 63.1% 26th Repeaters in Grade 5 of primary education, male 29,083 2023 down 36.4% 16th Share of all students in lower secondary education enrolled in 100.0% 2023 unchanged 1st School age population, early childhood education, both sexes 8.19 million 2025 up 3.1% 13th Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, male 1.93 million 2024 up 119.5% 13th Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes 4.17 million 2024 up 80.1% 16th Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, % female 54.0% 2024 down 12.9% 45th School age population, early childhood education, female 4.07 million 2025 up 4.0% 12th School age population, early childhood education, male 4.12 million 2025 up 2.2% 13th Gross enrolment ratio, upper secondary, both sexes 104.4% 2023 up 20.5% 40th Repeaters in Grade 2 of lower secondary general education, both sexes 87,328 2023 down 32.3% 7th Repeaters in lower secondary general education, all grades, both sexes 232,786 2023 down 30.3% 11th School life expectancy, primary and lower secondary, male 9.44 years 2023 down 0.1% 67th School life expectancy, primary and lower secondary, female 9 years 2023 down 2.7% 89th School life expectancy, primary and lower secondary, adjusted gender 0.9537 GPIA 2023 down 2.6% 176th Repetition rate in primary education (all grades), both sexes 4.5% 2022 down 54.2% 54th Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in vocational 7.2% 2018 up 26.1% 107th Share of all students in upper secondary education enrolled in 12.2% 2018 up 29.5% 101st Gross enrolment ratio, upper secondary, female 111.3% 2023 up 21.2% 28th Gross enrolment ratio, upper secondary, adjusted gender parity index 1.12 GPI 2023 up 1.1% 44th ← Previous Page 9 of 49 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