Primary education, pupils in South Africa
South Africa: Primary education, pupils was 7.52 million in 2023. ▲ Rising
Primary education, pupils in South Africa, 1970–2023
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Analysis
The most recent figure for primary education, pupils in South Africa is 7.52 million, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.4% on the previous year and up 6.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, primary education, pupils in South Africa peaked at 8.16 million in 1995 and was at its lowest, 3.99 million, in 1970.
South Africa ranks 21st of 206 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 42 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 4.27 million | 3.99 million | 4.64 million | 5 |
| 1980s | 5.06 million | 4.43 million | 6.76 million | 6 |
| 1990s | 7.76 million | 6.95 million | 8.16 million | 7 |
| 2000s | 7.35 million | 7.13 million | 7.47 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.31 million | 6.96 million | 7.69 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 7.64 million | 7.52 million | 7.72 million | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More education data for South Africa
- Population ages 15-64 67.4% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 25.7% (2025)
- Primary school starting age 7 years (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age 14 years (2025)
- School enrollment, primary 101.8% (2023)
- Primary education, teachers 287,310 (2023)
- School enrollment, primary, female 99.2% (2023)
- School enrollment, primary, male 104.3% (2023)
- Labor force, total 26.73 million (2025)
- Labor force, female 46.6% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is primary education, pupils in South Africa?
- Primary education, pupils in South Africa was 7.52 million in 2023, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest primary education, pupils recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 8.16 million in 1995.
- What is the lowest primary education, pupils recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.99 million in 1970.
- How does South Africa rank for primary education, pupils?
- South Africa ranks 21st out of 206 countries with data for 2023.
- Is primary education, pupils rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Primary education, pupils. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 42 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Primary education pupils is the total number of pupils enrolled at primary level in public and private schools.