School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, male in South Africa

South Africa: School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, male was 13.21 years in 2018. ▲ Rising

Latest (2018)
13.21 years
Change on year
down 1.5%
World rank
93rd
of 175 countries
All-time high
13.64 years
in 2014
All-time low
11.08 years
in 1989
Years of data
9
1989–2018

School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, male in South Africa, 1989–2018

0510151989200320181989: 11.1 years1990: 11.2 years1991: 11.8 years1994: 12.7 years2012: 13.3 years2014: 13.6 years2016: 13.6 years2017: 13.4 years2018: 13.2 years

Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in years.

Analysis

The most recent figure for school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, male in South Africa is 13.21 years, measured in 2018.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.5% on the previous year and down 0.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, male in South Africa peaked at 13.64 years in 2014 and was at its lowest, 11.08 years, in 1989.

South Africa ranks 93rd of 175 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, male in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, male (years) in South Africa, 1989 to 2018.
Year years Change
1989 11.08 years
1990 11.2 years +1.1%
1991 11.77 years +5.1%
1994 12.74 years +8.3%
2012 13.29 years +4.3%
2014 13.64 years +2.6%
2016 13.64 years -0.0%
2017 13.41 years -1.7%
2018 13.21 years -1.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 11.08 years 11.08 years 11.08 years 1
1990s 11.9 years 11.2 years 12.74 years 3
2010s 13.44 years 13.21 years 13.64 years 5

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 90 Azerbaijan 13.32 years compare
  2. 91 North Macedonia 13.3 years compare
  3. 92 San Marino 13.23 years compare
  4. 94 Aruba 13.2 years compare
  5. 95 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 13.14 years compare
  6. 96 Nepal 12.92 years compare

See the full ranking of 220 places →

More gender data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, male in South Africa?
School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, male in South Africa was 13.21 years in 2018, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
What is the highest school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, male recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 13.64 years in 2014.
What is the lowest school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, male recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 11.08 years in 1989.
How does South Africa rank for school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, male?
South Africa ranks 93rd out of 175 countries with data for 2018.
Is school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, male rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 0.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, male (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, male in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 04 September 2026, from https://gender.statizoid.com/stat/school-life-expectancy-primary-to-tertiary-male-years/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, male (years)
Unit
years
Source
Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
220 places, 6,052 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

Expected years of schooling is the number of years a child of school entrance age is expected to spend at school, or university, including years spent on repetition. It is the sum of the age-specific enrolment ratios for primary, secondary, post-secondary non-tertiary and tertiary education.