South Africa vs Thailand
South Africa vs Thailand: Girls in primary school
Girls in primary school: 86.7% in South Africa in 2017 and 97.9% in Thailand in 2009, by Our World in Data estimates. In 1980 the value was higher in South Africa, by 2.1 percentage points, or 1.02 times that in Thailand.
% of girls of primary-school age · Our World in Data
What the numbers say
- South Africa has been higher since 1965, when it overtook Thailand.
- The world as a whole: 75.8% in 1980.
Every year
% of girls of primary-school age · Our World in Data
| Year | South Africa | Thailand | 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 | – | 97.9 | 87.9 |
| 2008 | – | 97.2 | 87.6 |
| 2007 | – | 97.7 | 87.2 |
| 2006 | – | 98.1 | 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 | – | – | 78.1 |
| 1996 | – | – | 77.9 |
| 1995 | 90.9 | – | 78 |
| 1994 | 90.2 | – | 78.3 |
| 1993 | – | – | 78 |
| 1992 | – | – | 77.7 |
| 1991 | 89 | – | 77.8 |
| 1990 | – | – | 77.3 |
| 1989 | – | – | 77.6 |
| 1988 | – | – | 76.6 |
| 1987 | – | – | 75.8 |
| 1986 | – | – | 75.3 |
| 1985 | – | – | 74 |
| 1980 | 88 | 85.9 | 75.8 |
| 1975 | 88 | 72.5 | 72.9 |
| 1970 | 88 | 70.7 | 69 |
| 1965 | 78.2 | 68 | 66 |
| 1960 | 75.6 | 88 | 63.1 |
| 1955 | 68.4 | 100 | 57.4 |
| 1950 | 61.3 | 100 | 51.4 |
| 1945 | 54.2 | 88.1 | 43.5 |
| 1940 | 47.1 | 76.1 | 40 |
| 1935 | 39.9 | 64.2 | 38.2 |
| 1930 | 32.8 | 52.3 | 36.4 |
| 1925 | 25.7 | 40.3 | 33 |
| 1920 | 18.6 | 28.4 | 30.5 |
| 1915 | 11.4 | 16.5 | 29.2 |
| 1910 | 4.3 | 4.5 | 28.1 |
| 1905 | 1.7 | 4.2 | 25.1 |
| 1900 | 1.5 | 3.9 | 23.3 |
| 1895 | 1.3 | 3.6 | 21.8 |
| 1890 | 1 | 3.3 | 20 |
| 1885 | 0.8 | 3 | 19 |
| 1880 | 0.6 | 0.9 | 17.2 |
| 1875 | 0.4 | 0.5 | 15.7 |
| 1870 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 13.2 |
| 1865 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 10.6 |
| 1860 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 9.3 |
| 1855 | 0.1 | 0 | 8 |
| 1850 | 0.1 | 0 | 6.8 |
| 1845 | 0.1 | 0 | 5.9 |
| 1840 | 0.1 | 0 | 5.2 |
| 1835 | 0.1 | 0 | 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
South Africa vs Thailand
Health
- Life expectancySouth Africa: 66.1 years in 2023Thailand: 76.4 years in 2023
- Child mortalitySouth Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024Thailand: 0.9 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalitySouth Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023Thailand: 6.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionSouth Africa: 3.75% in 2017Thailand: 3.09% in 2017
- Suicide rateSouth Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017Thailand: 10.4 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationSouth Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023Thailand: 71.7 million people in 2023
- Population growthSouth Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023Thailand: -0.04% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateSouth Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023Thailand: 1.21 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationSouth Africa: 63.8% in 2025Thailand: 62.8% in 2025
- Median ageSouth Africa: 28.2 years in 2023Thailand: 39.7 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overSouth Africa: 6.5% in 2023Thailand: 14.7% in 2023
- Net migration rateSouth Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023Thailand: 0.3 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingSouth Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025Thailand: 1.04% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsSouth Africa: $3B in 2025Thailand: $5.57B in 2025
- Military spending per personSouth Africa: $49 in 2025Thailand: $84 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingSouth Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025Thailand: 4.4% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelSouth Africa: 89,000 people in 2020Thailand: 455,000 people in 2020
- National powerSouth Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022Thailand: 0.79% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersSouth Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020Thailand: 1.13% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsSouth Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025Thailand: 33 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsSouth Africa: 115 million TIV in 2025Thailand: 15 million TIV in 2024