Repetition rate in primary education (all grades), both sexes in South Africa

South Africa: Repetition rate in primary education (all grades), both sexes was 7.6% in 2017. ▼ Falling

Latest (2017)
7.6%
Change on year
down 13.2%
World rank
42nd
of 184 countries
All-time high
12.8%
in 1990
All-time low
5.2%
in 2002
Years of data
10
1990–2017

Repetition rate in primary education (all grades), both sexes in South Africa, 1990–2017

0510151990200320171990: 12.8 %1997: 7.9 %1998: 10.3 %1999: 8.2 %2000: 9.3 %2001: 7.5 %2002: 5.2 %2003: 7.9 %2015: 8.7 %2017: 7.6 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for repetition rate in primary education (all grades), both sexes in South Africa is 7.6%, measured in 2017.

That represents a change of down 13.2% on the previous year and down 4.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, repetition rate in primary education (all grades), both sexes in South Africa peaked at 12.8% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 5.2%, in 2002.

South Africa ranks 42nd of 184 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 10 years of available data.

Repetition rate in primary education (all grades), both sexes in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Repetition rate in primary education (all grades), both sexes (%) in South Africa, 1990 to 2017.
Year % Change
1990 12.8%
1997 7.9% -38.4%
1998 10.3% +30.8%
1999 8.2% -20.0%
2000 9.3% +13.0%
2001 7.5% -20.1%
2002 5.2% -30.0%
2003 7.9% +51.9%
2015 8.7% +10.1%
2017 7.6% -13.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 9.8% 7.9% 12.8% 4
2000s 7.5% 5.2% 9.3% 4
2010s 8.2% 7.6% 8.7% 2

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 39 Iraq 8.1% compare
  2. 40 Cape Verde 7.8% compare
  3. 41 Togo 7.7% compare
  4. 43 Nepal 7.4% compare
  5. 44 Aruba 7.4% compare
  6. 45 Belize 7.1% compare

See the full ranking of 184 places →

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is repetition rate in primary education (all grades), both sexes in South Africa?
Repetition rate in primary education (all grades), both sexes in South Africa was 7.6% in 2017, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest repetition rate in primary education (all grades), both sexes recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 12.8% in 1990.
What is the lowest repetition rate in primary education (all grades), both sexes recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 5.2% in 2002.
How does South Africa rank for repetition rate in primary education (all grades), both sexes?
South Africa ranks 42nd out of 184 countries with data for 2017.
Is repetition rate in primary education (all grades), both sexes rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 4.4%. 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 primary education (all grades), both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Repetition rate in primary education (all grades), both sexes in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 05 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/repetition-rate-in-primary-education-all-grades-both-sexes-percent/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Repetition rate in primary education (all grades), both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
184 places, 4,392 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

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