Percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education in South Africa

South Africa: Percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education was 31.7% in 2018. ▼ Falling

Latest (2018)
31.7%
Change on year
up 10.1%
World rank
33rd
of 153 countries
All-time high
36.0%
in 1998
All-time low
27.1%
in 2004
Years of data
7
1998–2018

Percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education in South Africa, 1998–2018

0102030401998200820181998: 36 %2000: 35.6 %2002: 32.8 %2003: 28.9 %2004: 27.1 %2017: 28.8 %2018: 31.7 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2018, percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education in South Africa stood at 31.7%.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 10.1% on the previous year and up 16.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education in South Africa peaked at 36.0% in 1998 and was at its lowest, 27.1%, in 2004.

South Africa ranks 33rd of 153 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

Percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education who are at least 2 years over-age for their current grade, male (%) in South Africa, 1998 to 2018.
Year % Change
1998 36.0%
2000 35.6% -1.0%
2002 32.8% -7.9%
2003 28.9% -11.7%
2004 27.1% -6.3%
2017 28.8% +6.1%
2018 31.7% +10.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 36.0% 36.0% 36.0% 1
2000s 31.1% 27.1% 35.6% 4
2010s 30.3% 28.8% 31.7% 2

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 30 Zambia 32.2% compare
  2. 31 Guinea 32.1% compare
  3. 32 Togo 31.9% compare
  4. 34 Côte d'Ivoire 31.5% compare
  5. 35 Bhutan 30.8% compare
  6. 36 Ethiopia 29.3% compare

See the full ranking of 194 places →

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education in South Africa?
Percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education in South Africa was 31.7% in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 36.0% in 1998.
What is the lowest percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 27.1% in 2004.
How does South Africa rank for percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education?
South Africa ranks 33rd out of 153 countries with data for 2018.
Is percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 16.9%. 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 Percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education who are at least 2 years over-age for their current grade, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 08 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/percentage-of-pupils-enrolled-in-lower-secondary-general-education-who-are-at-least-2-4/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Percentage of pupils enrolled in lower secondary general education who are at least 2 years over-age for their current grade, male (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
194 places, 2,217 data points, 1997–2020
Last refreshed

Percentage of pupils in each level of education (primary and lower secondary general education) who are at least 2 years above the intended age for their grade. The intended age for a given grade is the age at which pupils would enter the grade if they had started school at the official primary entrance age, had studied full-time and had progressed without repeating or skipping a grade. The value is calculated as the sum of enrolments across all grades in the given level of education which are 2 or more years older than the intended age for the given grade is expressed as a percentage of the total enrolment in the given level of education. A low value of this indicator will show that the majority of students start school on time and progress with minimum levels of grade repetition. Late school entry and significant grade repetition exacerbate over-age progression and should be discouraged as both are associated with lower levels of student learning achievement. For more information, consult the UNESCO Institute of Statistics website: http://www.uis.unesco.org/Education/