The tabular and visual dataset focuses on South African basic education and provides insights into the distribution of schools and basic population statistics across the country. This tabular and visual data are stratified across different quintiles for each provincial and district boundary. The quintile system is used by the South African government to classify schools based on their level of socio-economic disadvantage, with quintile 1 being the most disadvantaged and quintile 5 being the least disadvantaged. The data was joined by extracting information from the debarment of basic education with StatsSA population census data. Thereafter, all tabular data and geo located data were transformed to maps using GIS software and the Python integrated development environment. The dataset includes information on the number of schools and students in each quintile, as well as the population density in each area. The data is displayed through a combination of charts, maps and tables, allowing for easy analysis and interpretation of the information.

South Africa ZA: Educational Attainment: At Least Master's or Equivalent: Population 25+ Years: Total: % Cumulative data was reported at 1.179 % in 2015. South Africa ZA: Educational Attainment: At Least Master's or Equivalent: Population 25+ Years: Total: % Cumulative data is updated yearly, averaging 1.179 % from Dec 2015 (Median) to 2015, with 1 observations. South Africa ZA: Educational Attainment: At Least Master's or Equivalent: Population 25+ Years: Total: % Cumulative data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s South Africa – Table ZA.World Bank.WDI: Education Statistics. The percentage of population ages 25 and over that attained or completed Master's or equivalent.; ; UNESCO Institute for Statistics; ;

Between the years 2015 to 2022, the percentage rate of individuals aged 20 years and older in South Africa who have attained 12th grade has generally been increasing from 28.3 percent to 34.6 percent. Individuals without any school education at all have decreased from five percent to 3.3 percent within the given time period.

South Africa ZA: Government Expenditure on Education: Total: % of GDP data was reported at 5.943 % in 2016. This records a decrease from the previous number of 6.047 % for 2014. South Africa ZA: Government Expenditure on Education: Total: % of GDP data is updated yearly, averaging 5.291 % from Dec 1987 (Median) to 2016, with 25 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 6.372 % in 2012 and a record low of 4.853 % in 1989. South Africa ZA: Government Expenditure on Education: Total: % of GDP data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s South Africa – Table ZA.World Bank: Education Statistics. General government expenditure on education (current, capital, and transfers) is expressed as a percentage of GDP. It includes expenditure funded by transfers from international sources to government. General government usually refers to local, regional and central governments.; ; United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) Institute for Statistics.; Median;

Higher education performance indicators

In 2022, approximately 76 percent of individuals aged 7 to 24 years attended educational institutions in South Africa. While Mpumalanga experienced a slight increase of 0.1 percentage points over that period, other provinces like the Northern Cape, Western Cape, and Free State experienced higher increases of 7.3, 6.4, and 5.4 percentage points, respectively.

Actual value and historical data chart for South Africa Educational Attainment At Least Completed Post Secondary Population 25 Total Percent Cumulative

Seven USAID, The ELMA Foundation and J.P. Morgan funded South African project's data are included in this folder covering the period from 2012 to 2020: 1) Early Grade Reading Study (EGRS), 2) Reading Support Project (RSP), 3) South Africa Story Powered School Program, 4) Strengthening Teaching of Early Language and Literacy (STELLAR), 5) Teacher Assessment Resources for Monitoring and Improving Instruction for Foundation Phase (TARMII-FP), 6) Ukusiza, and 7) kaMhinga Literacy Project. Across these projects, the folder contains the following files and numbers of each: codebooks (30), consent (17), data files (98), instruments (63), and reports (5).

The gross tertiary enrollment ratio in South Africa amounted to ***** percent in 2022. Between 1970 and 2022, the gross tertiary enrollment ratio rose by ***** percentage points, though the increase followed an uneven trajectory rather than a consistent upward trend.

In 2018, the population group with the highest share of children between the ages of 14 and 17 years in secondary education in South Africa was Asian/Indian, at **** percent. Moreover, **** percent of the Black African children were enrolled in secondary education. The population group with the lowest secondary education enrollment level was the White population, at **** percent.

Educational attainment, at least completed primary, population 25+ years, total (%) (cumulative) in South Africa was reported at 89.34 % in 2024, according to the World Bank collection of development indicators, compiled from officially recognized sources. South Africa - Educational attainment, at least completed primary, population 25+ years, total (cumulative) - actual values, historical data, forecasts and projections were sourced from the World Bank on November of 2025.

Historical dataset showing South Africa education spending by year from 1996 to 2022.

Actual value and historical data chart for South Africa Labor Force With Advanced Education Percent Of Total

The Gender Parity Index (GPI) for gross enrollment in tertiary education in South Africa was **** points in 2022. Between 1988 and 2022, the Gender Parity Index (GPI) rose by **** points, though the increase followed an uneven trajectory rather than a consistent upward trend.

Commuting times to schools and study places

South Africa ZA: School Enrollment: Primary: % Net data was reported at 80.030 % in 2015. This records a decrease from the previous number of 85.878 % for 2005. South Africa ZA: School Enrollment: Primary: % Net data is updated yearly, averaging 88.013 % from Dec 1970 (Median) to 2015, with 13 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 92.585 % in 1995 and a record low of 64.903 % in 1970. South Africa ZA: School Enrollment: Primary: % Net data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s South Africa – Table ZA.World Bank: Education Statistics. Net enrollment rate is the ratio of children of official school age who are enrolled in school to the population of the corresponding official school age. Primary education provides children with basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills along with an elementary understanding of such subjects as history, geography, natural science, social science, art, and music.; ; UNESCO Institute for Statistics; Weighted average; Each economy is classified based on the classification of World Bank Group's fiscal year 2018 (July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018).

As of 2024, the total number of teaching staff in South Africa amounted to roughly *******. The largest number was in Gauteng, with close to ****** educators. KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape followed with around ****** and ****** teachers, respectively.

Abstract

The Survey of Activities of Young People (SAYP) is a household-based survey that collects data on the activities of young people aged 7-17 years who live in South Africa. The survey covers involvement of children in market production activities, production for own final consumption, household chores as well as activities that children engaged in at school. Statistics South Africa collects SAYP information as part of the module of the Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) every four years. This information is gathered from respondents who are members of households living in dwellings that have been selected to take part in the QLFS and have children aged 7-17 years.

The aim of the first survey (SAYP 1999) was to collect information on childrens economic activities, including paid and unpaid work. All subsequent survey's (SAYP 2010, 2015 and 2019) are intended to provide updated information on the economic activities of children, including an analysis of child labour in South Africa. The specific objectives of the SAYP are to understand the extent of childrent's involvement in economic activities, provide information for the formulation of an informed policy to combat child labour within the country and to monitor the South African Child Programme of Action (CLPA) and Sustainable Development Goal (SDG'S).

Geographic coverage

The survey has national coverage.

Analysis unit

Households and individuals

Universe

The SAYP covers children aged 7-17 years resident in a household. The survey excluded all people in prison, patients in hospitals, people residing in boarding houses and hotels, and boarding schools. Any single person households were screened out in all areas before the sample was drawn. Families living in hostels were treated as households.

Kind of data

Sample survey data

Sampling procedure

The Survey of Activities of Young People (SAYP) comprised two stages. The first stage involved identifying households with children aged 7-17 years during the Quarterly Labour Force Survey (QLFS) data collection that took place in the third quarter of 2019 (Q3:2019). The second stage involved a follow-up interview with children in those households to establish what kind of activities they were involved in and several other aspects related to the activities they engaged in.

Mode of data collection

Face-to-face [f2f]

Research instrument

The SAYP collected data in two phases using one questionnaire.

The first phase questionnaire covered the following topics: Living conditions of the household, including the type of dwelling, fuels used for cooking, lighting and heating,water source for domestic use, land ownership,tenure and cultivation; demographic information on members of the household, both adults and children. Questions covered the age, gender and population group of each household member, their marital status, their relationships to each other, and their levels of education; migration details; household income; school attendance of children aged 5 -17 years; information on economic and non-economic activities of children aged 5-17 years in the 12 months prior to the survey

The second phase questionnaire was administered to the sampled sub-set of households in which at least one child was involved in some form of work in the year prior to the interview. It covered activities of children in much more detail than in phase one, and the work situation of related adults in the household. Both adults and children were asked to respond.

Graph and download economic data for Ratio of Female to Male Secondary School Enrollment for South Africa (SEENRSECOFMZSZAF) from 1989 to 2020 about enrolled, secondary schooling, secondary, South Africa, ratio, females, males, and education.

Abstract

The data collected from the SNAP Survey of Ordinary Schools is collected from all schools each year. The data forms part of the national Education Management Information Systems (EMIS) database used to inform education policymakers and managers in the Department of Basic Education and the Provincial education departments, as well as to provide valuable information to external stakeholders. For example, general school data from the survey is used to compile and maintain the Master List of Schools in the country for education planning purposes.

Geographic coverage

The survey has national coverage

Analysis unit

The units of analysis in the survey are schools in South Africa and their staff and learners

Universe

The survey covers all Ordinary Schools in South Africa, both Public and Independent. This survey does not cover Special Schools as the DBE conducts a separate survey of Special Schools annually.

Kind of data

Administrative records data [adm]

Mode of data collection

Other [oth]

Research instrument

Data is collected with a survey questionnaire and educator forms. The principle completes the survey questionnaire and each educator (both state paid and other) in each school completes an educator form. Schools record the EMIS number provided by the DBE on the questionnaires and forms for identification.

Data appraisal

The data files do not cover the same period. Dates covered for each file are:

Applicable school grades data file (2010-2013) General school data file (2007-2013) Learner enrolment data files (1997-2013) Master list data file (1997-2013) Remuneration of practitioners data file (2010-2013) Staff remuneration data file (1997-2013)

The 1997 and 1998 data in this dataset cannot be matched with other years as the learner count is too low. The 1997 data also does not include data on schools in the Eastern Cape Province and the Limpopo Province The 1998 data does not include data on schools in the Limpopo Province

The Applicable grades data file does not include unique identifiers.