South Africa vs United States
South Africa vs United States: Girls in primary school
Girls in primary school in 2017: 86.7% in South Africa and 94.6% in United States, by Our World in Data estimates. In 2017 the value was higher in United States, by 7.9 percentage points, or 1.09 times that in South Africa.
% of girls of primary-school age · Our World in Data
What the numbers say
- United States 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 States | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | – | – | 88.2 |
| 2017 | 86.7 | 94.6 | 88.2 |
| 2016 | – | 94.9 | 88.3 |
| 2015 | – | 94.3 | 88.2 |
| 2014 | – | 93.6 | 88.3 |
| 2013 | – | 92.7 | 88.2 |
| 2012 | – | 92.6 | 88.2 |
| 2011 | – | 93.1 | 88.1 |
| 2010 | – | 93.5 | 87.9 |
| 2009 | – | – | 87.9 |
| 2008 | – | – | 87.6 |
| 2007 | – | – | 87.2 |
| 2006 | – | – | 86 |
| 2005 | 88.9 | 95.4 | 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 | 94 | 75.8 |
| 1975 | 88 | 94 | 72.9 |
| 1970 | 88 | 95.9 | 69 |
| 1965 | 78.2 | 95.9 | 66 |
| 1960 | 75.6 | 95.9 | 63.1 |
| 1955 | 68.4 | 100 | 57.4 |
| 1950 | 61.3 | 100 | 51.4 |
| 1945 | 54.2 | 96.1 | 43.5 |
| 1940 | 47.1 | 97.4 | 40 |
| 1935 | 39.9 | 98.2 | 38.2 |
| 1930 | 32.8 | 99.1 | 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 | 100 | 23.3 |
| 1895 | 1.3 | 100 | 21.8 |
| 1890 | 1 | 100 | 20 |
| 1885 | 0.8 | 100 | 19 |
| 1880 | 0.6 | 100 | 17.2 |
| 1875 | 0.4 | 100 | 15.7 |
| 1870 | 0.3 | 100 | 13.2 |
| 1865 | 0.3 | 96.7 | 10.6 |
| 1860 | 0.2 | 93.3 | 9.3 |
| 1855 | 0.1 | 88 | 8 |
| 1850 | 0.1 | 75.9 | 6.8 |
| 1845 | 0.1 | 68.9 | 5.9 |
| 1840 | 0.1 | 62 | 5.2 |
| 1835 | 0.1 | 55 | 4.5 |
| 1830 | 0 | 49 | 4 |
| 1825 | 0 | 42.9 | 3.5 |
| 1820 | 0 | 41.6 | 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 States
Health
- Life expectancySouth Africa: 66.1 years in 2023United States: 79.3 years in 2023
- Child mortalitySouth Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024United States: 0.7 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalitySouth Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023United States: 5.3 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionSouth Africa: 3.75% in 2017United States: 4.84% in 2017
- Suicide rateSouth Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017United States: 12.8 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationSouth Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023United States: 344 million people in 2023
- Population growthSouth Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023United States: 0.58% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateSouth Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023United States: 1.62 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationSouth Africa: 63.8% in 2025United States: 80.2% in 2025
- Median ageSouth Africa: 28.2 years in 2023United States: 38 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overSouth Africa: 6.5% in 2023United States: 17.4% in 2023
- Net migration rateSouth Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023United States: 3.9 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
- GDP per personSouth Africa: $5,713 in 2025United States: $67,950 in 2025
- GDP growthSouth Africa: 1.1% a year in 2025United States: 2.3% a year in 2025
- InflationSouth Africa: 3.2% a year in 2025United States: 2.7% a year in 2025
- Government debtSouth Africa: 76% of GDP in 2024United States: 124.4% of GDP in 2025
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingSouth Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025United States: 3.12% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsSouth Africa: $3B in 2025United States: $929B in 2025
- Military spending per personSouth Africa: $49 in 2025United States: $2,755 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingSouth Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025United States: 8.3% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelSouth Africa: 89,000 people in 2020United States: 1.4 million people in 2020
- National powerSouth Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022United States: 12.36% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersSouth Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020United States: 0.84% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsSouth Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025United States: 745 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsSouth Africa: 115 million TIV in 2025United States: 14 billion TIV in 2025