Repetition rate in lower secondary general education (all grades) in South Africa

South Africa: Repetition rate in lower secondary general education (all grades) was 13.3% in 2017. ▼ Falling

Latest (2017)
13.3%
Change on year
up 8.5%
World rank
25th
of 156 countries
All-time high
16.7%
in 1998
All-time low
6.9%
in 2002
Years of data
7
1998–2017

Repetition rate in lower secondary general education (all grades) in South Africa, 1998–2017

0510151998200720171998: 16.7 %1999: 16.2 %2001: 9.8 %2002: 6.9 %2003: 13 %2015: 12.3 %2017: 13.3 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 13.3% for repetition rate in lower secondary general education (all grades) in 2017.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 8.5% on the previous year and up 2.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, repetition rate in lower secondary general education (all grades) in South Africa peaked at 16.7% in 1998 and was at its lowest, 6.9%, in 2002.

South Africa ranks 25th of 156 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

Repetition rate in lower secondary general education (all grades) in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Repetition rate in lower secondary general education (all grades), both sexes (%) in South Africa, 1998 to 2017.
Year % Change
1998 16.7%
1999 16.2% -2.5%
2001 9.8% -39.9%
2002 6.9% -29.6%
2003 13.0% +89.4%
2015 12.3% -5.5%
2017 13.3% +8.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 16.5% 16.2% 16.7% 2
2000s 9.9% 6.9% 13.0% 3
2010s 12.8% 12.3% 13.3% 2

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 22 Suriname 15.2% compare
  2. 23 Malawi 13.7% compare
  3. 24 Côte d'Ivoire 13.4% compare
  4. 26 Mozambique 12.6% compare
  5. 27 Argentina 12.1% compare
  6. 28 Cameroon 11.3% compare

See the full ranking of 156 places →

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is repetition rate in lower secondary general education (all grades) in South Africa?
Repetition rate in lower secondary general education (all grades) in South Africa was 13.3% in 2017, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest repetition rate in lower secondary general education (all grades) recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 16.7% in 1998.
What is the lowest repetition rate in lower secondary general education (all grades) recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 6.9% in 2002.
How does South Africa rank for repetition rate in lower secondary general education (all grades)?
South Africa ranks 25th out of 156 countries with data for 2017.
Is repetition rate in lower secondary general education (all grades) rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 2.5%. 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 Repetition rate in lower secondary general education (all grades), both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Repetition rate in lower secondary general education (all grades) in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 04 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/repetition-rate-in-lower-secondary-general-education-all-grades-both-sexes-percent/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Repetition rate in lower secondary general education (all grades), both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
156 places, 2,040 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

Number of repeaters in lower secondary education in a given school year, expressed as a percentage of enrolment in lower secondary education in the previous school year. Divide the number of repeaters in lower secondary education in school year t+1 by the number of pupils from the same cohort enrolled in lower secondary education in the previous school year t.