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 18.1% in 2018. ▼ Falling

Latest (2018)
18.1%
Change on year
up 2.1%
World rank
49th
of 142 countries
All-time high
25.3%
in 2001
All-time low
8.8%
in 2015
Years of data
11
1994–2018

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

101520251994200620181994: 16.8 %1999: 23.1 %2000: 24 %2001: 25.3 %2002: 22.2 %2003: 21.1 %2004: 20.5 %2005: 19.6 %2015: 8.8 %2017: 17.7 %2018: 18.1 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 18.1% for out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper in 2018.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.1% on the previous year and down 7.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper in South Africa peaked at 25.3% in 2001 and was at its lowest, 8.8%, in 2015.

South Africa ranks 49th of 142 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 11 years of available data.

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, both sexes (%) in South Africa, 1994 to 2018.
Year % Change
1994 16.8%
1999 23.1% +37.9%
2000 24.0% +3.9%
2001 25.3% +5.4%
2002 22.2% -12.2%
2003 21.1% -5.0%
2004 20.5% -3.0%
2005 19.6% -4.0%
2015 8.8% -55.3%
2017 17.7% +101.9%
2018 18.1% +2.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 19.9% 16.8% 23.1% 2
2000s 22.1% 19.6% 25.3% 6
2010s 14.9% 8.8% 18.1% 3

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 46 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 18.6% compare
  2. 47 Morocco 18.5% compare
  3. 48 Puerto Rico 18.2% compare
  4. 50 Namibia 18.1% compare
  5. 51 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 17.7% compare
  6. 52 Bhutan 17.4% compare

See the full ranking of 185 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 18.1% 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 25.3% in 2001.
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 8.8% in 2015.
How does South Africa rank for out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper?
South Africa ranks 49th out of 142 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 7.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
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, both sexes (%). 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 12 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/out-of-school-rate-for-adolescents-and-youth-of-lower-and-upper-secondary-school-age-both/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, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
185 places, 4,210 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

Number of adolescents and youth of lower secondary and upper secondary school age who are not enrolled or attending school during in a given academic year. For more information, consult the UNESCO Institute of Statistics website: http://www.uis.unesco.org/Education/