South Africa vs United Kingdom: Girls in primary school

Girls in primary school in 2017: 86.7% in South Africa and 99.4% in United Kingdom, by Our World in Data estimates. In 2017 the value was higher in United Kingdom, by 12.6 percentage points, or 1.15 times that in South Africa.

Watch it change on the map

% of girls of primary-school age · Our World in Data

South AfricaUnited KingdomWorld

What the numbers say

United Kingdom has been higher in every year both have figures for since 1820.
The world as a whole: 88.2% in 2017.

Every year

% of girls of primary-school age · Our World in Data

Year	South Africa	United Kingdom	World
2018	–	–	88.2
2017	86.7	99.4	88.2
2016	–	99.6	88.3
2015	–	–	88.2
2014	–	–	88.3
2013	–	99.6	88.2
2012	–	98.3	88.2
2011	–	98.2	88.1
2010	–	98	87.9
2009	–	97.8	87.9
2008	–	98.6	87.6
2007	–	96.8	87.2
2006	–	98.7	86
2005	88.9	–	85.4
2004	89.3	98.2	84.7
2003	89.7	–	83.5
2002	88.3	99.9	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	–	96.8	77.7
1991	89	98.4	77.8
1990	–	–	77.3
1989	–	–	77.6
1988	–	99.9	76.6
1987	–	98.2	75.8
1986	–	95.3	75.3
1985	–	93.7	74
1980	88	97	75.8
1975	88	98	72.9
1970	88	98	69
1965	78.2	100	66
1960	75.6	100	63.1
1955	68.4	100	57.4
1950	61.3	100	51.4
1945	54.2	100	43.5
1940	47.1	100	40
1935	39.9	100	38.2
1930	32.8	100	36.4
1925	25.7	100	33
1920	18.6	100	30.5
1915	11.4	100	29.2
1910	4.3	100	28.1
1905	1.7	100	25.1
1900	1.5	91.3	23.3
1895	1.3	82.6	21.8
1890	1	73.9	20
1885	0.8	65.2	19
1880	0.6	56.4	17.2
1875	0.4	47.7	15.7
1870	0.3	39	13.2
1865	0.3	35.4	10.6
1860	0.2	31.9	9.3
1855	0.1	28.3	8
1850	0.1	24.7	6.8
1845	0.1	22.5	5.9
1840	0.1	20.4	5.2
1835	0.1	18.5	4.5
1830	0	16.8	4
1825	0	15.1	3.5
1820	0	13.6	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.
Ranks count the 97 countries with a value in 2012, highest first.
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 United Kingdom

Health

People

Economy

Education

Learning-adjusted schoolingSouth Africa: 5.6 years in 2020United Kingdom: 11.5 years in 2020

Politics

Conflict

Deaths in conflictsSouth Africa: 0 deaths in 2022United Kingdom: 0 deaths in 2022