Out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper in South Africa

South Africa: Out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper was 0.8912 GPIA in 2018. ▬ Flat

Latest (2018)
0.8912 GPIA
Change on year
up 49.3%
World rank
71st
of 137 countries
All-time high
1.44 GPIA
in 2015
All-time low
0.5969 GPIA
in 2017
Years of data
11
1994–2018

Out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper in South Africa, 1994–2018

00.511.51994200620181994: 0.841 GPIA1999: 0.93 GPIA2000: 0.997 GPIA2001: 0.97 GPIA2002: 0.979 GPIA2003: 0.95 GPIA2004: 0.932 GPIA2005: 0.94 GPIA2015: 1.4 GPIA2017: 0.597 GPIA2018: 0.891 GPIA

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in GPIA.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 0.8912 GPIA for out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper in 2018.

That represents a change of up 49.3% on the previous year and down 5.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper in South Africa peaked at 1.44 GPIA in 2015 and was at its lowest, 0.5969 GPIA, in 2017.

That places South Africa 71st out of 137 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the middle of the range.

Out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper secondary school age, adjusted gender parity index (GPIA) in South Africa, 1994 to 2018.
Year GPIA Change
1994 0.8407 GPIA
1999 0.9304 GPIA +10.7%
2000 0.9972 GPIA +7.2%
2001 0.9702 GPIA -2.7%
2002 0.9786 GPIA +0.9%
2003 0.9496 GPIA -3.0%
2004 0.9324 GPIA -1.8%
2005 0.9396 GPIA +0.8%
2015 1.44 GPIA +53.7%
2017 0.5969 GPIA -58.7%
2018 0.8912 GPIA +49.3%

South Africa compared with similar countries

  • South Africa's 0.8912 GPIA is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 0.8534 GPIA, 1.0× the median. (40 countries reporting)
  • South Africa's 0.8912 GPIA is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.06 GPIA, 84% of the median. (25 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 0.8856 GPIA 0.8407 GPIA 0.9304 GPIA 2
2000s 0.9613 GPIA 0.9324 GPIA 0.9972 GPIA 6
2010s 0.9773 GPIA 0.5969 GPIA 1.44 GPIA 3

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 68 Panama 0.9062 GPIA compare
  2. 69 Burundi 0.9035 GPIA compare
  3. 70 Jamaica 0.8945 GPIA compare
  4. 72 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 0.8889 GPIA compare
  5. 73 Ghana 0.8887 GPIA compare
  6. 74 Mauritania 0.8887 GPIA compare

See the full ranking of 180 places →

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper in South Africa?
Out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper in South Africa was 0.8912 GPIA in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 1.44 GPIA in 2015.
What is the lowest out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 0.5969 GPIA in 2017.
How does South Africa rank for out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper?
South Africa ranks 71st out of 137 countries with data for 2018.
Is out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 5.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper secondary school age, adjusted gender parity index (GPIA). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 13 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/out-of-school-rate-for-adolescents-and-youth-of-lower-and-upper-secondary-school-age-2/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper secondary school age, adjusted gender parity index (GPIA)
Unit
GPIA
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
180 places, 4,096 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

The Adjusted Gender Parity Index (GPIA) is calculated by dividing the female value for the indicator by the male value for the indicator. If the resulting value exceeds 1, the ratio is inverted and subtracted from 2. The adjusted gender parity index is symmetrical around 1 and lies in the range 0-2. An adjusted GPI equal to 1 indicates parity between females and males. In general, a value less than 1 indicates disparity in favor of males and a value greater than 1 indicates disparity in favor of females. For more information, consult the UNESCO Institute for Statistics: http://uis.unesco.org/