South Africa Education Statistics
Republic of South Africa · Africa · Southern Africa · Capital: Pretoria
Key Indicators
Education Spending (% of GDP)
6.0%
Literacy Rate (%)
91.2%
Tertiary Enrollment Rate (%)
23.5%
Primary Enrollment Rate (%)
101.8%
Historical Trends
Education Spending (% of GDP)
Literacy Rate (%)
Tertiary Enrollment Rate (%)
Primary Enrollment Rate (%)
Complete Data
Education Spending (% of GDP)
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 6.02% | -1.7% |
| 2023 | 6.12% | -0.5% |
| 2022 | 6.16% | -6.1% |
| 2021 | 6.56% | +6.2% |
| 2020 | 6.17% | +4.4% |
| 2019 | 5.91% | +4.7% |
| 2018 | 5.64% | +0.8% |
| 2017 | 5.60% | +2.8% |
| 2016 | 5.44% | -0.7% |
| 2015 | 5.48% | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 5.49% | +2.6% |
| 2013 | 5.35% | -3.1% |
| 2012 | 5.52% | +4.4% |
| 2011 | 5.29% | +3.0% |
| 2010 | 5.13% | +7.9% |
| 2009 | 4.76% | +8.8% |
| 2008 | 4.37% | -1.6% |
| 2007 | 4.45% | -1.8% |
| 2006 | 4.53% | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 4.52% | — |
Literacy Rate (%)
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 91.15% | +1.3% |
| 2021 | 90.00% | -5.3% |
| 2019 | 95.02% | +3.6% |
| 2016 | 91.74% | -2.8% |
| 2015 | 94.37% | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 94.14% | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 93.73% | +0.7% |
| 2011 | 93.10% | +0.2% |
| 2010 | 92.88% | -0.0% |
| 2009 | 92.89% | +4.7% |
| 2007 | 88.72% | — |
Tertiary Enrollment Rate (%)
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 23.49% | -1.0% |
| 2022 | 23.73% | +6.2% |
| 2021 | 22.34% | -1.2% |
| 2020 | 22.61% | +1.7% |
| 2019 | 22.24% | -0.5% |
| 2018 | 22.35% | +6.0% |
| 2017 | 21.09% | +11.4% |
| 2016 | 18.93% | -0.5% |
| 2015 | 19.03% | +3.0% |
| 2014 | 18.48% | -0.7% |
| 2013 | 18.61% | +3.7% |
| 2012 | 17.94% | — |
Primary Enrollment Rate (%)
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 101.77% | -0.6% |
| 2022 | 102.40% | +0.6% |
| 2021 | 101.74% | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 101.30% | +0.2% |
| 2019 | 101.12% | +0.7% |
| 2018 | 100.42% | -1.1% |
| 2017 | 101.58% | -1.8% |
| 2016 | 103.42% | -3.6% |
| 2015 | 107.31% | +3.0% |
| 2014 | 104.20% | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 104.09% | -0.6% |
| 2012 | 104.71% | +0.6% |
| 2011 | 104.05% | +0.6% |
| 2010 | 103.44% | +0.8% |
| 2009 | 102.60% | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 102.37% | +1.2% |
| 2007 | 101.16% | +2.6% |
| 2006 | 98.62% | +1.1% |
| 2005 | 97.53% | -0.3% |
| 2004 | 97.82% | — |
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About South Africa Education Data
This page presents comprehensive education statistics for South Africa (Republic of South Africa), located in Africa, Southern Africa. All data is sourced from the World Bank's Open Data platform, which aggregates data from officially-recognized international sources.
The data covers 4 key indicators with historical trends going back to 2000. Each indicator includes the latest available value, year-over-year trends, and time series for in-depth analysis. Data is updated weekly from the World Bank API.
For global comparisons, visit our Education Rankings page to see how South Africa compares to other countries.