Lower secondary school completion rates, adjusted gender parity index in South Africa
South Africa: Lower secondary school completion rates, adjusted gender parity index was 1.06 index in 2025. ▲ Rising
Lower secondary school completion rates, adjusted gender parity index in South Africa, 1981–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in index.
Analysis
The most recent figure for lower secondary school completion rates, adjusted gender parity index in South Africa is 1.06 index, measured in 2025.
That represents a change of down 0.1% on the previous year and down 0.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, lower secondary school completion rates, adjusted gender parity index in South Africa peaked at 1.07 index in 2002 and was at its lowest, 0.9758 index, in 1981.
That places South Africa 55th out of 164 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 45 years of available data.
Lower secondary school completion rates, adjusted gender parity index in South Africa, year by year
| Year | index | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 0.9758 index | — |
| 1982 | 0.9819 index | +0.6% |
| 1983 | 0.9873 index | +0.6% |
| 1984 | 0.989 index | +0.2% |
| 1985 | 0.9921 index | +0.3% |
| 1986 | 0.9929 index | +0.1% |
| 1987 | 0.9968 index | +0.4% |
| 1988 | 1 index | +0.4% |
| 1989 | 1.01 index | +0.9% |
| 1990 | 1.02 index | +1.0% |
| 1991 | 1.03 index | +0.8% |
| 1992 | 1.04 index | +0.8% |
| 1993 | 1.04 index | +0.7% |
| 1994 | 1.05 index | +0.7% |
| 1995 | 1.06 index | +0.5% |
| 1996 | 1.06 index | +0.2% |
| 1997 | 1.06 index | +0.3% |
| 1998 | 1.06 index | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 1.07 index | +0.3% |
| 2000 | 1.07 index | +0.2% |
| 2001 | 1.07 index | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 1.07 index | +0.1% |
| 2003 | 1.07 index | -0.0% |
| 2004 | 1.07 index | -0.2% |
| 2005 | 1.07 index | -0.3% |
| 2006 | 1.07 index | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 1.07 index | -0.0% |
| 2008 | 1.07 index | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 1.07 index | -0.0% |
| 2010 | 1.07 index | -0.1% |
| 2011 | 1.07 index | +0.1% |
| 2012 | 1.07 index | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 1.07 index | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 1.07 index | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 1.07 index | -0.2% |
| 2016 | 1.07 index | -0.2% |
| 2017 | 1.06 index | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 1.06 index | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 1.06 index | -0.0% |
| 2020 | 1.06 index | -0.0% |
| 2021 | 1.06 index | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 1.06 index | -0.0% |
| 2023 | 1.06 index | -0.0% |
| 2024 | 1.06 index | -0.0% |
| 2025 | 1.06 index | -0.1% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 1.06 index is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1.03 index, 1.0× the median. (50 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 1.06 index is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.05 index, 1.0× the median. (45 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.9918 index | 0.9758 index | 1.01 index | 9 |
| 1990s | 1.05 index | 1.02 index | 1.07 index | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.07 index | 1.07 index | 1.07 index | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.07 index | 1.06 index | 1.07 index | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.06 index | 1.06 index | 1.06 index | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More gender data for South Africa
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 17,151 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth 0.6591 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 51,011 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 51,011 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 1.07 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 570,099 (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 589,533 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 570,599 (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 589,626 (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 569,634 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is lower secondary school completion rates, adjusted gender parity index in South Africa?
- Lower secondary school completion rates, adjusted gender parity index in South Africa was 1.06 index in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest lower secondary school completion rates, adjusted gender parity index recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 1.07 index in 2002.
- What is the lowest lower secondary school completion rates, adjusted gender parity index recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.9758 index in 1981.
- How does South Africa rank for lower secondary school completion rates, adjusted gender parity index?
- South Africa ranks 55th out of 164 countries with data for 2025.
- Is lower secondary school completion rates, adjusted gender parity index rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.8%. 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 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Lower secondary school completion rates, adjusted gender parity index. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
An adjusted gender parity index of 1 indicates equal lower secondary school completion rates between boys and girls. Values below 1 favor boys, and values above 1 favor girls.