School age population, one year before than official primary entry in South Africa

South Africa: School age population, one year before than official primary entry was 592,807 number in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
592,807 number
Change on year
up 0.2%
World rank
22nd
of 202 countries
All-time high
592,807 number
in 2020
All-time low
321,480 number
in 1970
Years of data
51
1970–2020

School age population, one year before than official primary entry in South Africa, 1970–2020

0200.0k400.0k600.0k197019952020

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 592,807 number for school age population, one year before than official primary entry in 2020. That is the highest value across all 51 years on record.

The figure is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 18.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, school age population, one year before than official primary entry in South Africa peaked at 592,807 number in 2020 and was at its lowest, 321,480 number, in 1970.

That places South Africa 22nd out of 202 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 51 years of available data.

School age population, one year before than official primary entry in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for School age population, one year before than official primary entry age, male (number) in South Africa, 1970 to 2020.
Year number Change
1970 321,480 number
1971 330,005 number +2.7%
1972 338,370 number +2.5%
1973 346,501 number +2.4%
1974 354,412 number +2.3%
1975 362,155 number +2.2%
1976 372,776 number +2.9%
1977 383,786 number +3.0%
1978 394,709 number +2.8%
1979 404,876 number +2.6%
1980 413,497 number +2.1%
1981 423,121 number +2.3%
1982 432,177 number +2.1%
1983 441,261 number +2.1%
1984 451,290 number +2.3%
1985 463,347 number +2.7%
1986 478,895 number +3.4%
1987 495,830 number +3.5%
1988 512,518 number +3.4%
1989 526,775 number +2.8%
1990 535,893 number +1.7%
1991 542,058 number +1.2%
1992 545,642 number +0.7%
1993 546,577 number +0.2%
1994 544,982 number -0.3%
1995 541,429 number -0.7%
1996 535,566 number -1.1%
1997 533,086 number -0.5%
1998 522,930 number -1.9%
1999 511,758 number -2.1%
2000 501,911 number -1.9%
2001 495,979 number -1.2%
2002 490,938 number -1.0%
2003 486,712 number -0.9%
2004 483,148 number -0.7%
2005 479,881 number -0.7%
2006 479,767 number -0.0%
2007 481,634 number +0.4%
2008 485,423 number +0.8%
2009 491,174 number +1.2%
2010 498,637 number +1.5%
2011 509,350 number +2.1%
2012 524,158 number +2.9%
2013 540,844 number +3.2%
2014 557,132 number +3.0%
2015 570,116 number +2.3%
2016 580,228 number +1.8%
2017 586,559 number +1.1%
2018 590,018 number +0.6%
2019 591,594 number +0.3%
2020 592,807 number +0.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 360,907 number 321,480 number 404,876 number 10
1980s 463,871 number 413,497 number 526,775 number 10
1990s 535,992 number 511,758 number 546,577 number 10
2000s 487,657 number 479,767 number 501,911 number 10
2010s 554,864 number 498,637 number 591,594 number 10
2020s 592,807 number 592,807 number 592,807 number 1

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 19 Kenya 704,826 number compare
  2. 20 Turkey 703,094 number compare
  3. 21 Sudan 599,109 number compare
  4. 23 Afghanistan 558,717 number compare
  5. 24 Iraq 552,316 number compare
  6. 25 Angola 544,033 number compare

See the full ranking of 247 places →

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is school age population, one year before than official primary entry in South Africa?
School age population, one year before than official primary entry in South Africa was 592,807 number in 2020, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest school age population, one year before than official primary entry recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 592,807 number in 2020.
What is the lowest school age population, one year before than official primary entry recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 321,480 number in 1970.
How does South Africa rank for school age population, one year before than official primary entry?
South Africa ranks 22nd out of 202 countries with data for 2020.
Is school age population, one year before than official primary entry rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 18.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of School age population, one year before than official primary entry age, male (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 51 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

School age population, one year before than official primary entry in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 28 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/school-age-population-one-year-before-than-official-primary-entry-age-male-number/south-africa/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/school-age-population-one-year-before-than-official-primary-entry-age-male-number/south-africa/">School age population, one year before than official primary entry in South Africa</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
School age population, one year before than official primary entry age, male (number)
Unit
number
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
247 places, 12,237 data points, 1970–2020
Last refreshed

Male population of the age-group theoretically corresponding to one year before the official primary entry age as indicated by theoretical entrance age and duration. For more information, consult the UNESCO Institute of Statistics website: http://www.uis.unesco.org/Education/