Out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in South Africa

South Africa: Out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary was 13.8% in 2018. ▼ Falling

Latest (2018)
13.8%
Change on year
up 19.3%
World rank
36th
of 139 countries
All-time high
15.8%
in 2001
All-time low
6.1%
in 2015
Years of data
11
1994–2018

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

0510151994200620181994: 13.1 %1999: 14.5 %2000: 15.7 %2001: 15.8 %2002: 13.9 %2003: 12.8 %2004: 12.1 %2005: 11.7 %2015: 6.1 %2017: 11.5 %2018: 13.8 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in South Africa is 13.8%, measured in 2018.

The figure is up 19.3% on the previous year and up 17.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in South Africa peaked at 15.8% in 2001 and was at its lowest, 6.1%, in 2015.

That places South Africa 36th out of 139 countries with data for 2018, putting it 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 children, adolescents and youth of primary in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary, lower secondary and upper secondary school age, both sexes (%) in South Africa, 1994 to 2018.
Year % Change
1994 13.1%
1999 14.5% +10.6%
2000 15.7% +8.2%
2001 15.8% +0.8%
2002 13.9% -11.8%
2003 12.8% -8.4%
2004 12.1% -5.3%
2005 11.7% -3.4%
2015 6.1% -47.4%
2017 11.5% +87.9%
2018 13.8% +19.3%

South Africa compared with similar countries

  • South Africa's 13.8% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 7.6%, 1.8× the median. (41 countries reporting)
  • South Africa's 13.8% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 16.6%, 83% of the median. (25 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 13.8% 13.1% 14.5% 2
2000s 13.6% 11.7% 15.8% 6
2010s 10.5% 6.1% 13.8% 3

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 33 Paraguay 15.7% compare
  2. 34 Kenya 15.4% compare
  3. 35 Zimbabwe 14.1% compare
  4. 37 Vanuatu 13.5% compare
  5. 38 Malaysia 13.4% compare
  6. 39 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 13.2% compare

See the full ranking of 182 places →

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in South Africa?
Out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in South Africa was 13.8% in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 15.8% in 2001.
What is the lowest out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 6.1% in 2015.
How does South Africa rank for out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary?
South Africa ranks 36th out of 139 countries with data for 2018.
Is out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 17.9%. 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 children, adolescents and youth of primary, lower secondary and upper secondary school age, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 15 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/out-of-school-rate-for-children-adolescents-and-youth-of-primary-lower-secondary-and/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Out-of-school rate for children, adolescents and youth of primary, lower secondary and upper secondary school age, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
182 places, 4,144 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

Proportion of children, adolescents, and youth in the official age range for primary, lower secondary, and upper secondary education who are not enrolled in primary, lower secondary, or upper secondary education. To calculate the indicator, the number of students of the official age for primary, lower secondary, and upper secondary education enrolled in primary, lower secondary, and upper secondary education is subtracted from the total population of primary, lower secondary, and upper secondary education. The result is expressed as a percentage of the population of the official age for primary, lower secondary, and upper secondary education. For more information, consult the UNESCO Institute of Statistics website: http://www.uis.unesco.org/Education/