China vs South Africa
China vs South Africa: Girls in primary school
Girls in primary school: 88.4% in China in 1997 and 86.7% in South Africa in 2017, by Our World in Data estimates. In 1995 the value was higher in South Africa, by 1.3 percentage points, or 1.01 times that in China.
% of girls of primary-school age · Our World in Data
What the numbers say
- South Africa has been higher since 1995, when it overtook China.
- The world as a whole: 78% in 1995.
Every year
% of girls of primary-school age · Our World in Data
| Year | China | South Africa | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | – | – | 88.2 |
| 2017 | – | 86.7 | 88.2 |
| 2016 | – | – | 88.3 |
| 2015 | – | – | 88.2 |
| 2014 | – | – | 88.3 |
| 2013 | – | – | 88.2 |
| 2012 | – | – | 88.2 |
| 2011 | – | – | 88.1 |
| 2010 | – | – | 87.9 |
| 2009 | – | – | 87.9 |
| 2008 | – | – | 87.6 |
| 2007 | – | – | 87.2 |
| 2006 | – | – | 86 |
| 2005 | – | 88.9 | 85.4 |
| 2004 | – | 89.3 | 84.7 |
| 2003 | – | 89.7 | 83.5 |
| 2002 | – | 88.3 | 81.4 |
| 2001 | – | 87.6 | 81 |
| 2000 | – | 86.3 | 80.7 |
| 1999 | – | 88 | 79.9 |
| 1998 | – | 86.7 | 78.9 |
| 1997 | 88.4 | – | 78.1 |
| 1996 | 88.7 | – | 77.9 |
| 1995 | 89.6 | 90.9 | 78 |
| 1994 | 90.9 | 90.2 | 78.3 |
| 1993 | 92.2 | – | 78 |
| 1992 | 93.2 | – | 77.7 |
| 1991 | 93.8 | 89 | 77.8 |
| 1990 | – | – | 77.3 |
| 1989 | 92.4 | – | 77.6 |
| 1988 | – | – | 76.6 |
| 1987 | 88.9 | – | 75.8 |
| 1986 | – | – | 75.3 |
| 1985 | – | – | 74 |
| 1980 | 82.2 | 88 | 75.8 |
| 1975 | 79.8 | 88 | 72.9 |
| 1970 | 71 | 88 | 69 |
| 1965 | 71 | 78.2 | 66 |
| 1960 | 71 | 75.6 | 63.1 |
| 1955 | 53.1 | 68.4 | 57.4 |
| 1950 | 35.1 | 61.3 | 51.4 |
| 1945 | 17.1 | 54.2 | 43.5 |
| 1940 | 9.4 | 47.1 | 40 |
| 1935 | 8.4 | 39.9 | 38.2 |
| 1930 | 5.3 | 32.8 | 36.4 |
| 1925 | 3.6 | 25.7 | 33 |
| 1920 | 2.4 | 18.6 | 30.5 |
| 1915 | 1.6 | 11.4 | 29.2 |
| 1910 | 1.1 | 4.3 | 28.1 |
| 1905 | 0.7 | 1.7 | 25.1 |
| 1900 | 0.5 | 1.5 | 23.3 |
| 1895 | 0.3 | 1.3 | 21.8 |
| 1890 | 0.2 | 1 | 20 |
| 1885 | 0.1 | 0.8 | 19 |
| 1880 | 0.1 | 0.6 | 17.2 |
| 1875 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 15.7 |
| 1870 | 0 | 0.3 | 13.2 |
| 1865 | 0 | 0.3 | 10.6 |
| 1860 | 0 | 0.2 | 9.3 |
| 1855 | 0 | 0.1 | 8 |
| 1850 | 0 | 0.1 | 6.8 |
| 1845 | 0 | 0.1 | 5.9 |
| 1840 | 0 | 0.1 | 5.2 |
| 1835 | 0 | 0.1 | 4.5 |
| 1830 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| 1825 | 0 | 0 | 3.5 |
| 1820 | 0 | 0 | 3.1 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The share of girls of primary-school age who are enrolled in school.
- Source: Our World in Data, joining historical estimates to the World Bank’s.
- The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time
China vs South Africa
Health
- Life expectancyChina: 78 years in 2023South Africa: 66.1 years in 2023
- Child mortalityChina: 0.6 per 100 live births in 2024South Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalityChina: 5.1 per 1,000 live births in 2023South Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionChina: 3.31% in 2017South Africa: 3.75% in 2017
- Suicide rateChina: 7.2 per 100,000 people in 2017South Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationChina: 1.42 billion people in 2023South Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023
- Population growthChina: -0.24% a year in 2023South Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateChina: 1 births per woman in 2023South Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationChina: 66.3% in 2025South Africa: 63.8% in 2025
- Median ageChina: 39.1 years in 2023South Africa: 28.2 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overChina: 14.3% in 2023South Africa: 6.5% in 2023
- Net migration rateChina: -0.4 per 1,000 people in 2023South Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingChina: 1.73% of GDP in 2025South Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsChina: $335B in 2025South Africa: $3B in 2025
- Military spending per personChina: $237 in 2025South Africa: $49 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingChina: 5.1% of government spending in 2025South Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelChina: 2.54 million people in 2020South Africa: 89,000 people in 2020
- National powerChina: 23.41% of world capability in 2022South Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersChina: 0.33% of the labour force in 2020South Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsChina: 207 million TIV in 2025South Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsChina: 880 million TIV in 2025South Africa: 115 million TIV in 2025