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

South Africa: Repetition rate in primary education (all grades), male was 9.6% in 2017. ▼ Falling

Latest (2017)
9.6%
Change on year
down 8.4%
World rank
35th
of 181 countries
All-time high
14.5%
in 1990
All-time low
5.9%
in 2002
Years of data
10
1990–2017

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

0510151990200320171990: 14.5 %1997: 8.9 %1998: 11.5 %1999: 9.6 %2000: 6.1 %2001: 8.5 %2002: 5.9 %2003: 8.4 %2015: 10.4 %2017: 9.6 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 9.6% for repetition rate in primary education (all grades), male in 2017.

The figure is down 8.4% on the previous year and up 14.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, repetition rate in primary education (all grades), male in South Africa peaked at 14.5% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 5.9%, in 2002.

South Africa ranks 35th of 181 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), male in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Repetition rate in primary education (all grades), male (%) in South Africa, 1990 to 2017.
Year % Change
1990 14.5%
1997 8.9% -38.4%
1998 11.5% +29.1%
1999 9.6% -16.3%
2000 6.1% -36.6%
2001 8.5% +39.5%
2002 5.9% -31.0%
2003 8.4% +42.6%
2015 10.4% +24.7%
2017 9.6% -8.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 11.1% 8.9% 14.5% 4
2000s 7.2% 5.9% 8.5% 4
2010s 10.0% 9.6% 10.4% 2

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 32 Cape Verde 9.9% compare
  2. 33 Yemen 9.7% compare
  3. 34 Guatemala 9.7% compare
  4. 36 Democratic Republic of Congo 9.5% compare
  5. 37 Iraq 9.3% compare
  6. 38 Uganda 9.2% compare

See the full ranking of 181 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), male in South Africa?
Repetition rate in primary education (all grades), male in South Africa was 9.6% in 2017, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest repetition rate in primary education (all grades), male recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 14.5% in 1990.
What is the lowest repetition rate in primary education (all grades), male recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 5.9% in 2002.
How does South Africa rank for repetition rate in primary education (all grades), male?
South Africa ranks 35th out of 181 countries with data for 2017.
Is repetition rate in primary education (all grades), male rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 14.2%. 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), male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Repetition rate in primary education (all grades), male in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 01 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/repetition-rate-in-primary-education-all-grades-male-percent/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Repetition rate in primary education (all grades), male (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
181 places, 3,893 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

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