Working-age population with primary education, total in South Africa

South Africa: Working-age population with primary education, total was 0.6% in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
0.6%
Change on year
up 1.4%
World rank
6th
of 113 countries
All-time high
0.6%
in 2008
All-time low
0.1%
in 2006
Years of data
21
1995–2020

Working-age population with primary education, total in South Africa, 1995–2020

0.10.20.30.40.50.61995200720201995: 0.244 % of total population in working age2000: 0.183 % of total population in working age2001: 0.174 % of total population in working age2002: 0.271 % of total population in working age2003: 0.162 % of total population in working age2004: 0.157 % of total population in working age2005: 0.243 % of total population in working age2006: 0.137 % of total population in working age2007: 0.137 % of total population in working age2008: 0.619 % of total population in working age2009: 0.61 % of total population in working age2010: 0.607 % of total population in working age2011: 0.604 % of total population in working age2013: 0.593 % of total population in working age2014: 0.583 % of total population in working age2015: 0.583 % of total population in working age2016: 0.599 % of total population in working age2017: 0.603 % of total population in working age2018: 0.59 % of total population in working age2019: 0.583 % of total population in working age2020: 0.591 % of total population in working age

Source: World Bank. Measured in % of total population in working age.

Analysis

The most recent figure for working-age population with primary education, total in South Africa is 0.6%, measured in 2020.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.4% on the previous year and down 2.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, working-age population with primary education, total in South Africa peaked at 0.6% in 2008 and was at its lowest, 0.1%, in 2006.

South Africa ranks 6th of 113 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 21 years of available data.

Working-age population with primary education, total in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Working-age population with primary education, total (% of total population in working age) in South Africa, 1995 to 2020.
Year % of total population in working age Change
1995 0.2%
2000 0.2% -24.8%
2001 0.2% -5.2%
2002 0.3% +55.7%
2003 0.2% -40.2%
2004 0.2% -3.2%
2005 0.2% +55.2%
2006 0.1% -43.7%
2007 0.1% +0.2%
2008 0.6% +351.7%
2009 0.6% -1.6%
2010 0.6% -0.5%
2011 0.6% -0.5%
2013 0.6% -1.7%
2014 0.6% -1.8%
2015 0.6% -0.0%
2016 0.6% +2.7%
2017 0.6% +0.8%
2018 0.6% -2.1%
2019 0.6% -1.3%
2020 0.6% +1.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 1
2000s 0.3% 0.1% 0.6% 10
2010s 0.6% 0.6% 0.6% 9
2020s 0.6% 0.6% 0.6% 1

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 3 Ethiopia 0.7% compare
  2. 4 Tanzania 0.7% compare
  3. 5 Rwanda 0.7% compare
  4. 7 Belize 0.6% compare
  5. 8 Mexico 0.6% compare
  6. 9 China 0.6% compare

See the full ranking of 113 places →

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is working-age population with primary education, total in South Africa?
Working-age population with primary education, total in South Africa was 0.6% in 2020, according to the World Bank.
What is the highest working-age population with primary education, total recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 0.6% in 2008.
What is the lowest working-age population with primary education, total recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 0.1% in 2006.
How does South Africa rank for working-age population with primary education, total?
South Africa ranks 6th out of 113 countries with data for 2020.
Is working-age population with primary education, total rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 2.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from the World Bank, published as part of Working-age population with primary education, total (% of total population in working age). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Working-age population with primary education, total in South Africa. Statizoid. Retrieved 02 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/working-age-population-with-primary-education-total-percent-of-total-population-in/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Working-age population with primary education, total (% of total population in working age)
Unit
% of total population in working age
Source
World Bank
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
113 places, 1,638 data points, 1970–2021
Last refreshed