Theoretical duration of pre-primary education in South Africa

South Africa: Theoretical duration of pre-primary education was 4 years in 2019. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2019)
4 years
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
1st
of 210 countries
All-time high
4 years
in 2018
All-time low
1 years
in 1970
Years of data
50
1970–2019

Theoretical duration of pre-primary education in South Africa, 1970–2019

1234197019942019

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.

Analysis

In 2019, theoretical duration of pre-primary education in South Africa stood at 4 years. That is the highest value across all 50 years on record.

The figure is up 300.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, theoretical duration of pre-primary education in South Africa peaked at 4 years in 2018 and was at its lowest, 1 years, in 1970.

South Africa ranks 1st of 210 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 1 years 1 years 1 years 10
1980s 1 years 1 years 1 years 10
1990s 1 years 1 years 1 years 10
2000s 1 years 1 years 1 years 10
2010s 2.2 years 1 years 4 years 10

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 1 Bulgaria 4 years compare
  2. 1 Croatia 4 years compare
  3. 1 Estonia 4 years compare
  4. 1 Finland 4 years compare
  5. 1 Gambia 4 years compare
  6. 1 Hungary 4 years compare
  7. 1 Kyrgyzstan 4 years compare
  8. 1 Latvia 4 years compare
  9. 1 Lithuania 4 years compare
  10. 1 Moldova 4 years compare
  11. 1 Mongolia 4 years compare
  12. 1 Papua New Guinea 4 years compare
  13. 1 Poland 4 years compare
  14. 1 Russia 4 years compare
  15. 1 Serbia 4 years compare
  16. 1 Sweden 4 years compare
  17. 1 Tajikistan 4 years compare
  18. 1 Uzbekistan 4 years compare
  19. 1 Zambia 4 years compare

See the full ranking of 210 places →

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is theoretical duration of pre-primary education in South Africa?
Theoretical duration of pre-primary education in South Africa was 4 years in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest theoretical duration of pre-primary education recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 4 years in 2018.
What is the lowest theoretical duration of pre-primary education recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 1 years in 1970.
How does South Africa rank for theoretical duration of pre-primary education?
South Africa ranks 1st out of 210 countries with data for 2019.
Is theoretical duration of pre-primary education rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 300.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Theoretical duration of pre-primary education (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Theoretical duration of pre-primary education in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 22 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/theoretical-duration-of-pre-primary-education-years/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Theoretical duration of pre-primary education (years)
Unit
years
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
210 places, 10,271 data points, 1970–2020
Last refreshed

Number of grades (years) in pre-primary education.