Politics and governmentPopulation and FamilyEconomy and industryWorkEducation and mediaScience and technologyEnvironment and energyInternational relations and national identitySecurityHealthAgriculture and FoodLeisure, culture and SportsLife World\nAfrica\n

Afghanistan\nAlbania\nAlgeria\nAmerican Samoa\nAndorra\nAngola\nAnguilla\nAntigua and Barbuda\nArgentina\nArmenia\nAruba\nAustralia\nAustria\nAzerbaijan\nBahamas\nBahrain\nBangladesh\nBarbados\nBelarus\nBelgium\nBelize\nBenin\nBermuda\nBhutan\nBolivia\nBosnia and Herzegovina\nBotswana\nBrazil\nBritish Virgin Islands\nBrunei Darussalam\nBulgaria\nBurkina Faso\nBurundi\nCambodia\nCameroon\nCanada\nCape Verde\nCayman Islands\nCentral African Republic\nChad\nChannel Islands\nChile\nChina\nColombia\nComoros\nDemocratic Republic of Congo\nRepublic of Congo\nCook Islands\nCosta Rica\nCote dIvoire\nCroatia\nCuba\nCuracao\nCyprus\nCzech Republic\nDenmark\nDjibouti\nDominica\nDominican Republic\nEcuador\nEgypt\nEl Salvador\nEquatorial Guinea\nEritrea\nEstonia\nEswatini\nEthiopia\nFaeroe Islands\nFalkland Islands (Malvinas)\nFiji\nFinland\nFrance\nFrench Guiana\nFrench Polynesia\nGabon\nGambia\nGeorgia\nGermany\nGhana\nGibraltar\nGreece\nGreenland\nGrenada\nGuadeloupe\nGuam\nGuatemala\nGuernsey\nGuinea\nGuinea-Bissau\nGuyana\nHaiti\nHoly See (Vatican City)\nHonduras\nHong Kong, China\nHungary\nIceland\nIndia\nIndonesia\nIran\nIraq\nIreland\nIsrael\nItaly\nJamaica\nJapan\nJersey\nJordan\nKazakhstan\nKenya\nKiribati\nNorth Korea\nRepublic of Korea\nKosovo\nKuwait\nKyrgyzstan\nLaos\nLatvia\nLebanon\nLesotho\nLiberia\nLibya\nLiechtenstein\nLithuania\nLuxembourg\nMacao, China\nNorth Macedonia\nMadagascar\nMalawi\nMalaysia\nMaldives\nMali\nMalta\nMan, Isle of\nMarshall Islands\nMartinique\nMauritania\nMauritius\nMayotte\nMexico\nMicronesia, Federated States of\nMoldova\nMonaco\nMongolia\nMontenegro\nMontserrat\nMorocco\nMozambique\nMyanmar (Burma)\nNamibia\nNauru\nNepal\nNetherlands\nNetherlands Antilles\nNew Caledonia\nNew Zealand\nNicaragua\nNiger\nNigeria\nNiue\nNorthern Mariana Islands\nNorway\nOman\nPakistan\nPalau\nPalestinian Territory\nPanama\nPapua New Guinea\nParaguay\nPeru\nPhilippines\nPitcairn\nPoland\nPortugal\nPuerto Rico\nQatar\nReunion\nRomania\nRussian Federation\nRwanda\nSt. Helena\nSt. Kitts and Nevis\nSt. Lucia\nSt. Martin (French part)\nSt. Pierre et Miquelon\nSt. Vincent and the Grenadines\nSamoa\nSan Marino\nSao Tome and Principe\nSaudi Arabia\nSenegal\nSerbia\nSeychelles\nSierra Leone\nSingapore\nSint Maarten (Dutch part)\nSlovakia\nSlovenia\nSolomon Islands\nSomalia\nSouth Africa\nSouth Sudan\nSpain\nSri Lanka\nSudan\nSuriname\nSweden\nSwitzerland\nSyrian Arab Republic\nTaiwan\nTajikistan\nTanzania\nThailand\nTimor-Leste\nTogo\nTokelau\nTonga\nTrinidad and Tobago\nTunisia\nTurkiye\nTurkmenistan\nTurks and Caicos Islands\nTuvalu\nUganda\nUkraine\nUnited Arab Emirates\nUnited Kingdom\nUnited States\nUruguay\nUzbekistan\nVanuatu\nVenezuela\nViet Nam\nVirgin Islands\nWallis and Futuna Islands\nWestern Sahara\nYemen\nZambia\nZimbabwe\n Choose a country to compare\n----------\nAfghanistan\nAlbania\nAlgeria\nAmerican Samoa\nAndorra\nAngola\nAnguilla\nAntigua and Barbuda\nArgentina\nArmenia\nAruba\nAustralia\nAustria\nAzerbaijan\nBahamas\nBahrain\nBangladesh\nBarbados\nBelarus\nBelgium\nBelize\nBenin\nBermuda\nBhutan\nBolivia\nBosnia and Herzegovina\nBotswana\nBrazil\nBritish Virgin Islands\nBrunei Darussalam\nBulgaria\nBurkina Faso\nBurundi\nCambodia\nCameroon\nCanada\nCape Verde\nCayman Islands\nCentral African Republic\nChad\nChannel Islands\nChile\nChina\nColombia\nComoros\nDemocratic Republic of Congo\nRepublic of Congo\nCook Islands\nCosta Rica\nCote dIvoire\nCroatia\nCuba\nCuracao\nCyprus\nCzech Republic\nDenmark\nDjibouti\nDominica\nDominican Republic\nEcuador\nEgypt\nEl Salvador\nEquatorial Guinea\nEritrea\nEstonia\nEswatini\nEthiopia\nFaeroe Islands\nFalkland Islands (Malvinas)\nFiji\nFinland\nFrance\nFrench Guiana\nFrench Polynesia\nGabon\nGambia\nGeorgia\nGermany\nGhana\nGibraltar\nGreece\nGreenland\nGrenada\nGuadeloupe\nGuam\nGuatemala\nGuernsey\nGuinea\nGuinea-Bissau\nGuyana\nHaiti\nHoly See (Vatican City)\nHonduras\nHong Kong, China\nHungary\nIceland\nIndia\nIndonesia\nIran\nIraq\nIreland\nIsrael\nItaly\nJamaica\nJapan\nJersey\nJordan\nKazakhstan\nKenya\nKiribati\nNorth Korea\nRepublic of Korea\nKosovo\nKuwait\nKyrgyzstan\nLaos\nLatvia\nLebanon\nLesotho\nLiberia\nLibya\nLiechtenstein\nLithuania\nLuxembourg\nMacao, China\nNorth Macedonia\nMadagascar\nMalawi\nMalaysia\nMaldives\nMali\nMalta\nMan, Isle of\nMarshall Islands\nMartinique\nMauritania\nMauritius\nMayotte\nMexico\nMicronesia, Federated States of\nMoldova\nMonaco\nMongolia\nMontenegro\nMontserrat\nMorocco\nMozambique\nMyanmar (Burma)\nNamibia\nNauru\nNepal\nNetherlands\nNetherlands Antilles\nNew Caledonia\nNew Zealand\nNicaragua\nNiger\nNigeria\nNiue\nNorthern Mariana Islands\nNorway\nOman\nPakistan\nPalau\nPalestinian Territory\nPanama\nPapua New Guinea\nParaguay\nPeru\nPhilippines\nPitcairn\nPoland\nPortugal\nPuerto Rico\nQatar\nReunion\nRomania\nRussian Federation\nRwanda\nSt. Helena\nSt. Kitts and Nevis\nSt. Lucia\nSt. Martin (French part)\nSt. Pierre et Miquelon\nSt. Vincent and the Grenadines\nSamoa\nSan Marino\nSao Tome and Principe\nSaudi Arabia\nSenegal\nSerbia\nSeychelles\nSierra Leone\nSingapore\nSint Maarten (Dutch part)\nSlovakia\nSlovenia\nSolomon Islands\nSomalia\nSouth Africa\nSouth Sudan\nSpain\nSri Lanka\nSudan\nSuriname\nSweden\nSwitzerland\nSyrian Arab Republic\nTaiwan\nTajikistan\nTanzania\nThailand\nTimor-Leste\nTogo\nTokelau\nTonga\nTrinidad and Tobago\nTunisia\nTurkiye\nTurkmenistan\nTurks and Caicos Islands\nTuvalu\nUganda\nUkraine\nUnited Arab Emirates\nUnited Kingdom\nUnited States\nUruguay\nUzbekistan\nVanuatu\nVenezuela\nViet Nam\nVirgin Islands\nWallis and Futuna Islands\nWestern Sahara\nYemen\nZambia\nZimbabwe\n

All rankings including South Africa\nRankings in which South Africa is Top\nRankings in which South Africa is Top 1-3\nRankings in which South Africa is Bottom 1-3\nRankings in which South Africa is Bottom\nRankings in which South Africa is either Top or Bottom\nRankings in which South Africa is either Top3 or Bottom3\n

Education in general> South Africa % of those who think that education is the most important issue for their country 22.2% (2020) [4/28countries] % of those who would like to see more government spending in education 87.8% (2016) [8/35countries] % of those who think that the government should primarily provide school education for children 88.9% (2016) [25/35countries] % of those who think that private companies should primarily provide school education for children 2.9% (2016) [11/35countries] % of those who think it is right that the rich can buy better education for their children 37.9% (2019) [5/29countries] % of those who think it is fair that the rich can afford better education for their children 49.3% (2011) [3/32countries] % of those who think it is wrong that the rich can buy better education for their children 36.3% (2019) [24/29countries] % of those who think it is unfair that the rich can afford better education for their children 35.5% (2011) [30/32countries] % of those who think that men have more opportunities of getting a good education 7.6% (2019) [23/34countries] % of those who think that women have more opportunities of getting a good education 13.7% (2019) [3/34countries] % of those who think that men and women have about the same opportunities of getting a good education 78.6% (2019) [22/34countries] % of those who have confidence in the educational system (5 choices) 80.6% (2018) [33/47countries] % of those who are optimistic about the future of their country's education system 60.2% (2019) [17/34countries] % of those who speak only one language well enough to hold a conversation in 26.2% (2017) [22/29countries] Pre-primary education> South Africa Pre-primary education at home> South Africa % of the parents who often read books to their child before they began primary school 35.2% (2019) [41/53countries] % of the parents who often told stories to their child before they began primary school 34.1% (2019) [46/53countries] % of the parents who often sang songs to their child before they began primary school 54.0% (2019) [24/53countries] % of the parents who often played with alphabet toys with their child before they began primary school 34.4% (2019) [39/53countries] % of the parents who often talked about things to their child before they began primary school 49.3% (2019) [41/53countries] % of the parents who often talked about what they had read to their child before they began primary school 38.1% (2019) [30/53countries] % of the parents who often played word games with their child before they began primary school 33.0% (2019) [37/53countries] % of the parents who often wrote letters or words to their child before they began primary school 43.8% (2019) [37/53countries] % of the parents who often read aloud signs and labels to their child before they began primary school 37.6% (2019) [43/53countries] % of the parents who often sang counting songs to their child before they began primary school 36.5% (2019) [29/53countries] % of the parents who often played with number toys with their child before they began primary school 35.3% (2019) [38/53countries] % of the parents who often counted different things to their child before they began primary school 49.5% (2019) [44/53countries] % of the parents who often played games involving shapes with their child before they began primary school 41.0% (2019) [46/53countries] % of the parents who often played with building blocks or construction toys with their child before they began primary school 34.1% (2019) [49/53countries] % of the parents who often played board or card games with their child before they began primary school 35.0% (2019) [40/53countries] % of the parents who often wrote numbers to their child before they began primary school 59.4% (2019) [17/53countries] % of the parents who often drew shapes to their child before they began primary school 51.7% (2019) [28/53countries] % of the parents who often measured or weighed things with their child before they began primary school 21.9% (2019) [9/53countries] Pre-primary education on letters> South Africa % of the children who could recognize most of the letters of the alphabet very well when they began primary school 52.1% (2019) [31/53countries] % of the children who could read some words very well when they began primary school 37.7% (2019) [21/53countries] % of the children who could read sentences very well when they began primary school 29.6% (2019) [14/53countries] % of the children who could read a story very well when they began primary school 27.8% (2019) [6/53countries] % of the children who could write letters of the alphabet very well when they began primary school 48.6% (2019) [17/53countries] % of the children who could write his/her name very well when they began primary school 74.8% (2019) [19/53countries] % of the children who could write words other than his/her name very well when they began primary school 39.0% (2019) [20/53countries] Pre-primary education on numbers> South Africa % of the children who could count by himself/ herself up to 100 or higher when they began primary school 28.3% (2019) [37/53countries] % of the children who could recognize written numbers up to 100 or higher when they began primary school 24.4% (2019) [33/53countries] % of the children who could write numbers up to 100 or higher when they began primary school 27.0% (2019) [26/53countries] % of the children who could do simple addition up to 100 or higher when they began primary school 86.2% (2019) [18/53countries] % of the children who could do simple subtraction up to 100 or higher when they began primary school 76.0% (2019) [20/53countries] Primary school> South Africa Primary school students - home> South Africa % of Grade 4 students who have their own room 57.6% (2019) [44/57countries] % of Grade 4 students who have internet connection at home 37.4% (2019) [55/57countries] % of Grade 4 students who have their own mobile phone 66.9% (2019) [26/57countries] Primary school students - school life> South Africa % of Grade 4 students who are absent from school once a week 24.3% (2019) [5/57countries] % of Grade 4 students who feel tired when they arrive at school everyday/ almost everyday 28.2% (2019) [43/57countries] % of Grade 4 students who feel hungry when they arrive at school everyday/ almost everyday 30.6% (2019) [18/57countries] % of Grade 4 students who agree a lot that they like being in school 74.5% (2019) [10/57countries] % of Grade 4 students who agree a lot that they feel safe at school 67.7% (2019) [19/57countries] % of Grade 4 students who agree a lot that they feel like they belong at the school 60.2% (2019) [36/57countries] % of Grade 4 students who agree a lot that teachers at their school are fair to them 55.4% (2019) [50/57countries] % of Grade 4 students who agree a lot that they are proud to go to their school 71.7% (2019) [25/57countries] % of Grade 4 students who say that other students made fun of them or called them names 63.6% (2019) [3/57countries] % of Grade 4 students who say that other students left them out of games or activities 52.5% (2019) [11/57countries] % of Grade 4 students who say that other students spread lies about them 59.9% (2019) [2/57countries] % of Grade 4 students who say that other students stole something from them 71.7% (2019) [1/57countries] % of Grade 4 students who say that other students damaged something of theirs on purpose 53.7% (2019) [2/57countries] % of Grade 4 students who say that other students hit or hurt them 53.6% (2019) [7/57countries] % of Grade 4 students who say that other students made them do things they didn't want to do 44.2% (2019) [2/57countries] % of Grade 4 students who say that other students sent them nasty or hurtful messages online 36.3% (2019) [2/57countries] % of Grade 4 students who say that other students shared nasty or hurtful things about them online 36.3% (2019) [2/57countries] % of Grade 4 students who say that other students shared embarrassing photos of them online 32.8% (2019) [2/57countries] % of Grade 4 students who say that other students threatened them 48.2% (2019) [3/57countries] Primary school students - mathematics> South Africa Average score of mathematics achievement of 4th grade 374 (2019) [55/57countries] % of Grade 4 students who work problems on their own in every or almost every lesson 42.7% (2019) [51/57countries] % of Grade 4 students who agree a lot that they enjoy learning mathematics 75.0% (2019) [12/57countries] % of Grade 4 students who agree a lot that they wish they did not have to study mathematics 23.4% (2019) [4/57countries] % of Grade 4 students who agree a lot that mathematics is boring 17.6% (2019) [6/57countries] % of Grade 4 students who agree a lot that they learn many interesting things in mathematics 67.4% (2019) [25/57countries] % of Grade 4 students who agree a lot that they like mathematics very much 71.6% (2019) [14/57countries] % of Grade 4 students who agree a lot that they like any schoolwork that involves numbers 63.4% (2019) [15/57countries] % of Grade 4 students who agree a lot that they like to solve mathematics problems 61.2% (2019) [17/57countries] % of Grade 4 students who agree a lot that they look forward to mathematics lessons 60.2% (2019) [11/57countries] % of Grade 4 students who agree a lot that mathematics is one of their favorite subjects 63.8% (2019) [13/57countries] % of Grade 4 students who agree a lot that they know what their teacher expects them to do in mathematics lessons 73.7% (2019) [7/57countries] % of Grade 4 students who agree a lot that their teacher is easy to understand in mathematics lessons 64.3% (2019) [27/57countries] % of Grade 4 students who agree a lot that their teacher has clear answers to their questions in mathematics lessons 67.9% (2019) [32/57countries] % of Grade 4 students who agree a lot that their teacher is good at explaining mathematics 76.6% (2019) [35/57countries] % of Grade 4 students who agree a lot that their teacher does a variety of things to help them learn in mathematics lessons 70.4% (2019) [47/57countries] % of Grade 4 students who agree a lot that their teacher explains a topic again when they don't understand in mathematics lessons 73.1% (2019) [40/57countries] % of Grade 4 students who say that students don�ft listen to what the teacher says in every or almost every mathematics lesson 39.0% (2019) [1/56countries] % of Grade 4 students who say that there is disruptive noise in every or almost every mathematics lesson 34.7% (2019) [5/56countries] % of Grade 4 students who say that it is too disorderly for students to work well in every or almost every mathematics lesson 35.8% (2019) [2/56countries] % of Grade 4 students who say that their teacher has to wait a long time for students to quiet down in every or almost everymathematics lesson 39.0% (2019) [4/56countries] % of Grade 4 students who say that students interrupt the teacher in every or almost every mathematics lesson 36.5% (2019) [3/56countries] % of Grade 4 students who say that their teacher has to keep telling them to follow the classroom rules in every or almost every mathematics lesson 53.2% (2019) [5/56countries] % of Grade 4 students who agree a lot that they usually do well in mathematics 64.0% (2019) [14/57countries] % of Grade 4 students who agree a lot that mathematics is harder for them than for many of their classmates 28.0% (2019) [2/57countries] % of Grade 4 students who agree a lot that they are just not good at mathematics 23.4% (2019) [5/57countries] % of Grade 4 students who agree a lot that they learn things quickly in mathematics 55.8% (2019) [16/57countries] % of Grade 4 students who agree a lot that mathematics makes them nervous 30.3% (2019) [1/57countries] % of Grade 4 students who agree a lot that they are good at working out difficult mathematics problems 46.9% (2019) [10/57countries] % of Grade 4 students who agree a lot that their teacher tells them they are good at mathematics 46.2% (2019) [21/57countries] % of Grade 4 students who agree a lot that mathematics is harder for them than any other subject 28.8% (2019) [1/57countries] % of Grade 4 students who agree a lot that mathematics makes them confused 28.4% (2019) [2/57countries] Primary school students - science> South Africa Average score of science achievement of 4th grade 324 (2019) [55/57countries] % of Grade 4 students who conduct science experiments at least once a week 37.7% (2019) [24/57countries] % of Grade 4 students who agree a lot that they enjoy learning science 72.9% (2019) [14/57countries] % of Grade 4 students who agree a lot that they wish they did not have to study science 22.4% (2019) [4/57countries] % of Grade 4 students who agree a lot that science is boring 19.4% (2019) [2/57countries] % of Grade 4 students who agree a lot that they learn many interesting things in science 66.1% (2019) [36/57countries] % of Grade 4 students who agree a lot that they like science very much 66.9% (2019) [20/57countries] % of Grade 4 students who agree a lot that science teaches them how things in the world work 70.4% (2019) [30/57countries] % of Grade 4 students who agree a lot that they look forward to learning science 62.6% (2019) [17/57countries] % of Grade 4 students who agree a lot that science teaches them how things in the world work 70.4% (2019) [30/57countries] % of Grade 4 students who agree a lot that science is one of their favorite subjects 56.8% (2019) [18/57countries] % of Grade 4 students who agree a lot that they know what their teacher expects them to do in science lessons 71.0% (2019) [9/57countries] % of Grade 4 students who agree a lot that their teacher is easy to understand in science lessons 63.9% (2019) [35/57countries] % of Grade 4 students who agree a lot that their teacher has clear answers to their questions in science lessons 65.9% (2019) [40/57countries] % of Grade 4 students who agree a lot that their teacher is good at explaining science 71.8% (2019) [39/57countries] % of Grade 4 students who agree a lot that their teacher does a variety of things to help them learn in science lessons 65.3% (2019) [47/57countries] % of Grade 4 students who agree a lot that their teacher explains a topic again when they don't understand in science lessons 68.5% (2019) [38/57countries] % of Grade 4 students who agree a lot that they usually do well in science 66.7% (2019) [15/57countries] % of Grade 4 students who agree a lot that science is harder for them than for many of their classmates 25.0% (2019) [1/57countries] % of Grade 4 students who agree a lot that they are just not good at science 23.0% (2019) [4/57countries] % of Grade 4 students who agree a lot that they learn things quickly in science 57.7% (2019) [18/57countries] % of Grade 4 students who agree a lot that their teacher tells them they are good at science 47.7% (2019) [19/57countries] % of Grade 4 students who agree a lot that science is harder for them than any other subject 24.4% (2019) [3/57countries] % of Grade 4 students who agree a lot that science makes them confused 27.5% (2019) [2/57countries] Primary school students - instruction out of school> South Africa % of Grade 4 students who attended extra lessons or tutoring not provided by the school in mathematics during the last 12 months 40.1% (2019) [7/52countries] % of Grade 4 students who attended extra lessons or tutoring not provided by the school in science during the last 12 months 28.5% (2019) [5/52countries] Primary school - evaluation of parents> South Africa % of the parents of Grade 4 students who agree a lot that their child�fs school does a good job including them in their child�fs education 72.7% (2019) [10/52countries] % of the parents of Grade 4 students who agree a lot that their child's school provides a safe environment 75.6% (2019) [18/52countries] % of the parents of Grade 4 students who agree a lot that their child�fs school cares about their child's progress in school 80.5% (2019) [8/52countries] % of the parents of Grade 4 students who agree a lot that their child's school does a good job informing them of his/her progress 74.6% (2019) [15/52countries] % of the parents of Grade 4 students who agree a lot that their child's school promotes high academic standards 65.9% (2019) [8/52countries] % of the parents of Grade 4 students who agree a lot that their child's school does a good job in helping him/her become better in reading 78.3% (2019) [13/52countries] % of the parents of Grade 4 students who agree a lot that their child's school does a good job in helping him/her become better in mathematics 72.7% (2019) [16/52countries] % of the parents of Grade 4 students who agree a lot that their child's school does a good job in helping him/her become better in science 65.2% (2019) [21/52countries] Primary school - future educational plan> South Africa % of the parents of Grade 4 students who expect their child to finish undergraduate or postgraduate degree 62.7% (2019) [42/52countries] % of the parents of Grade 4 students who expect their child to finish postgraduate degree 40.1% (2019) [25/52countries] Lower secondary school> South Africa Lower secondary school students - home> South Africa % of Grade 8 students who have their own room 67.9% (2019) [23/38countries] % of Grade 8 students who have internet connection at home 40.9% (2019) [39/39countries] % of Grade 8 students who have their own mobile phone 77.4% (2019) [31/39countries] Lower secondary school students - Internet use> South Africa % of Grade 8 students who use Internet to access the textbook or other course materials 64.1% (2019) [14/38countries] % of Grade 8 students who use Internet to access assignments posted online by their teacher 44.0% (2019) [29/38countries] % of Grade 8 students who use Internet to collaborate with classmates on assignments or projects 79.0% (2019) [17/38countries] % of Grade 8 students who use Internet to communicate with the teacher 45.5% (2019) [18/38countries] % of Grade 8 students who use Internet to find information, articles, or tutorials to aid in understanding mathematics or science 72.3% (2019) [20/38countries] % of Grade 8 students who use Internet to access learning games or activities related to mathematics or science 55.2% (2019) [10/38countries] Lower secondary school students - School life> South Africa % of Grade 8 students who are absent from school once a week 15.1% (2019) [6/39countries] % of Grade 8 students who feel tired when they arrive at school everyday/ almost everyday 21.1% (2019) [37/39countries] % of Grade 8 students who feel hungry when they arrive at school everyday/ almost everyday 32.6% (2019) [19/39countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that they like being in school 69.4% (2019) [2/39countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that they feel safe at school 54.2% (2019) [13/39countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that they feel like they belong at the school 47.9% (2019) [17/39countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that teachers at their school are fair to them 42.8% (2019) [20/39countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that they are proud to go to their school 62.8% (2019) [7/39countries] % of Grade 8 students who say that other students said mean things about their physical appearance 66.9% (2019) [2/38countries] % of Grade 8 students who say that other students spread lies about them 60.6% (2019) [2/38countries] % of Grade 8 students who say that other students shared their secrets with others 46.9% (2019) [7/38countries] % of Grade 8 students who say that other students refused to talk to them 51.8% (2019) [1/38countries] % of Grade 8 students who say that other students insulted a member of their family 40.0% (2019) [1/38countries] % of Grade 8 students who say that other students stole something from them 72.6% (2019) [1/38countries] % of Grade 8 students who say that other students made them do things they didn't want to do 38.2% (2019) [2/37countries] % of Grade 8 students who say that other students sent them nasty or hurtful messages online 34.7% (2019) [3/38countries] % of Grade 8 students who say that other students shared nasty or hurtful things about them online 30.1% (2019) [2/38countries] % of Grade 8 students who say that other students shared embarrassing photos of them online 20.0% (2019) [11/38countries] % of Grade 8 students who say that other students threatened them 38.7% (2019) [1/38countries] % of Grade 8 students who say that other students physically hurt them 38.8% (2019) [1/38countries] % of Grade 8 students who say that other students excluded them from their group 43.0% (2019) [2/38countries] % of Grade 8 students who say that other students damaged something of theirs on purpose 47.8% (2019) [1/38countries] Lower secondary school students - Mathematics> South Africa Average score of mathematics achievement of 8th grade 389 (2019) [38/39countries] % of Grade 8 students who work problems on their own in every or almost every lesson 35.0% (2019) [35/39countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that they enjoy learning mathematics 52.5% (2019) [3/39countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that they wish they did not have to study mathematics 13.9% (2019) [31/39countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that mathematics is boring 8.9% (2019) [35/39countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that they learn many interesting things in mathematics 53.4% (2019) [5/39countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that they like mathematics very much 49.3% (2019) [3/39countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that they like any schoolwork that involves numbers 39.2% (2019) [6/39countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that they like to solve mathematics problems 40.2% (2019) [5/39countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that they look forward to mathematics lessons 44.6% (2019) [2/39countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that mathematics is one of their favorite subjects 36.4% (2019) [6/39countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that they know what their teacher expects them to do in mathematics lessons 60.3% (2019) [2/39countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that their teacher is easy to understand in mathematics lessons 49.3% (2019) [11/39countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that their teacher has clear answers to their questions in mathematics lessons 52.2% (2019) [15/39countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that their teacher is good at explaining mathematics 63.0% (2019) [12/39countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that their teacher does a variety of things to help them learn in mathematics lessons 58.7% (2019) [12/39countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that their teacher links new lessons to what they already know in mathematics lessons 45.7% (2019) [16/39countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that their teacher explains a topic again when they don't understand in mathematics lessons 71.0% (2019) [11/39countries] % of Grade 8 students who say that students don�ft listen to what the teacher says in every or almost every mathematics lesson 29.5% (2019) [2/38countries] % of Grade 8 students who say that there is disruptive noise in every or almost every mathematics lesson 28.3% (2019) [9/38countries] % of Grade 8 students who say that it is too disorderly for students to work well in every or almost every mathematics lesson 24.5% (2019) [1/38countries] % of Grade 8 students who say that their teacher has to wait a long time for students to quiet down in every or almost every mathematics lesson 29.7% (2019) [2/38countries] % of Grade 8 students who say that students interrupt the teacher in every or almost every mathematics lesson 28.2% (2019) [2/38countries] % of Grade 8 students who say that their teacher has to keep telling them to follow the classroom rules in every or almost every mathematics lesson 46.5% (2019) [4/38countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that they usually do well in mathematics 25.7% (2019) [23/39countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that mathematics is harder for them than for many of their classmates 22.6% (2019) [3/39countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that mathematics is not one of their strengths 24.6% (2019) [22/39countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that they learn things quickly in mathematics 27.3% (2019) [16/39countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that mathematics makes them nervous 28.0% (2019) [3/39countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that they are good at working out difficult mathematics problems 20.0% (2019) [13/39countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that their teacher tells them they are good at mathematics 17.4% (2019) [23/39countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that mathematics is harder for them than any other subject 29.8% (2019) [3/39countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that mathematics makes them confused 25.1% (2019) [5/39countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that learning mathematics will help them in their daily life 76.9% (2019) [2/39countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that they need mathematics to learn other school subjects 53.5% (2019) [4/39countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that they need to do well in mathematics to get into the university of their choice 80.1% (2019) [1/39countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that they need to do well in mathematics to get the job they want 77.4% (2019) [1/39countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that they would like a job that involves using mathematics 42.3% (2019) [2/39countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that it is important to learn about mathematics to get ahead in the world 67.3% (2019) [1/39countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that learning mathematics will give them more job opportunities when they are adults 74.9% (2019) [1/39countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that their parents think that it is important that they do well in mathematics 71.3% (2019) [6/39countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that it is important to do well in mathematics 81.3% (2019) [1/39countries] Lower secondary school students - Science> South Africa Average score of science achievement of 8th grade 370 (2019) [39/39countries] % of Grade 8 students who conduct science experiments at least once a week 41.6% (2019) [5/26countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that they enjoy learning science 54.8% (2019) [9/26countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that they wish they did not have to study science 12.4% (2019) [16/26countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that science is boring 8.9% (2019) [19/26countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that they learn many interesting things in science 62.4% (2019) [8/26countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that they like science very much 53.5% (2019) [9/26countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that they look forward to science lessons 52.3% (2019) [4/26countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that science teaches them how things in the world work 66.6% (2019) [7/26countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that they like to conduct science experiments 51.8% (2019) [20/26countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that science is one of their favorite subjects 43.3% (2019) [11/26countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that they know what their teacher expects them to do in science lessons 59.5% (2019) [6/26countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that their teacher is easy to understand in science lessons 54.1% (2019) [9/26countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that their teacher has clear answers to their questions in science lessons 56.7% (2019) [10/26countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that their teacher is good at explaining science 64.8% (2019) [9/26countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that their teacher does a variety of things to help them learn in science lessons 56.3% (2019) [13/26countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that their teacher links new lessons to what they already know in science lessons 47.1% (2019) [12/26countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that their teacher explains a topic again when they don't understand in science lessons 65.3% (2019) [8/26countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that they usually do well in science 37.9% (2019) [13/26countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that science is harder for them than for many of their classmates 12.7% (2019) [8/26countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that science is not one of their strengths 16.7% (2019) [13/26countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that they learn things quickly in science 38.9% (2019) [12/26countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that they are good at working out difficult science problems 29.9% (2019) [12/26countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that their teacher tells them they are good at science 22.0% (2019) [13/26countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that science is harder for them than any other subject 15.0% (2019) [7/26countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that science makes them confused 14.6% (2019) [10/26countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that learning science will help them in their daily life 69.3% (2019) [4/39countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that they need science to learn other school subjects 48.7% (2019) [8/39countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that they need to do well in science to get into the university of their choice 60.4% (2019) [8/39countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that they need to do well in science to get the job they want 60.2% (2019) [7/39countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that they would like a job that involves using science 50.9% (2019) [3/39countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that it is important to learn about science to get ahead in the world 58.1% (2019) [8/39countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that learning science will give them more job opportunities when they are adults 58.9% (2019) [7/39countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that their parents think that it is important that they do well in science 51.7% (2019) [16/39countries] % of Grade 8 students who agree a lot that it is important to do well in science 65.4% (2019) [10/39countries] % of Grade 8 students whose teacher gives them homework in mathematics every day 66.5% (2019) [6/39countries] % of Grade 8 students whose teacher gives them homework in science every day 23.1% (2019) [3/26countries] Lower secondary school students - instruction out of school> South Africa % of Grade 8 students who attended extra lessons or tutoring not provided by the school in mathematics during the last 12 months 77.3% (2019) [3/38countries] % of Grade 8 students who attended extra lessons or tutoring not provided by the school in science during the last 12 months 55.2% (2019) [5/38countries] Lower secondary school students - future educational plan> South Africa % of Grade 8 students who expect them to finish undergraduate or postgraduate degree 60.6% (2019) [24/39countries] % of Grade 8 students who expect them to finish postgraduate degree 39.2% (2019) [17/39countries] Lower secondary education teachers> South Africa Lower secondary education teachers: Total working hours 34.99 (2018) [37/48countries] Lower secondary education teachers: Hours spent on teaching 25.74 (2018) [5/47countries] Lower secondary education teachers: Hours spent on individual planning or preparation of lessons either at school or out of school 5.56 (2018) [40/48countries] Lower secondary education teachers: Hours spent on team work and dialogue with colleagues within the school 3.05 (2018) [20/48countries] Lower secondary education teachers: Hours spent marking/correcting of student work 6.34 (2018) [4/48countries] Lower secondary education teachers: Hours spent on counselling students 2.99 (2018) [12/48countries] Lower secondary education teachers: Hours spent in participation in school management 2.77 (2018) [6/48countries] Lower secondary education teachers: Hours spent on general administrative work (including communication, paperwork, and other clerical duties) 3.60 (2018) [8/48countries] Lower secondary education teachers: Hours spent on professional development activities 2.96 (2018) [9/48countries] Lower secondary education teachers: Hours spent on communication and co-operation with parents or guardians 2.20 (2018) [4/48countries] Lower secondary education teachers: Hours spent engaging in extracurricular activities 3.28 (2018) [2/48countries] Lower secondary education teachers: Hours spent engaging in other work tasks 2.45 (2018) [10/48countries] % of lower secondary education teachers who present a summary of recently learned content 80.04% (2018) [18/48countries] % of lower secondary education teachers who set goals at the beginning of instruction 82.55% (2018) [28/48countries] % of lower secondary education teachers who explain what they expect students to learn 91.95% (2018) [24/48countries] % of lower secondary education teachers who explain how new and old topics are related 86.87% (2018) [27/48countries] % of lower secondary education teachers who present tasks for which there is no obvious solution 52.33% (2018) [10/48countries] % of lower secondary education teachers who give tasks that require students to think critically 83.06% (2018) [3/48countries] % of lower secondary education teachers who have students work in small groups to come up with a joint solution to a problem or task 54.09% (2018) [18/48countries] % of lower secondary education teachers who ask students to decide on their own procedures for solving complex tasks 53.86% (2018) [14/48countries] % of lower secondary education teachers who tell students to follow classroom rules 84.65% (2018) [13/48countries] % of lower secondary education teachers who tell students to listen to what they say 86.09% (2018) [8/48countries] % of lower secondary education teachers who calm students who are disruptive 83.50% (2018) [6/48countries] % of lower secondary education teachers who tell students to quieten down quickly when the lesson begins 83.33% (2018) [1/48countries] % of lower secondary education teachers who refer to a problem from everyday life or work to demonstrate why new knowledge is useful 83.47% (2018) [15/48countries] % of lower secondary education teachers who let students practise similar tasks until they know that every student has understood the subject matter 79.00% (2018) [15/48countries] % of lower secondary education teachers who give students projects that require at least one week to complete 55.77% (2018) [1/48countries] % of lower secondary education teachers who let students use ICT for projects or class work 38.27% (2018) [38/47countries] % of lower secondary education teachers who would like to change to another school if possible 44.64% (2018) [2/48countries] % of lower secondary education teachers who enjoy working at the present school 76.14% (2018) [46/48countries] % of lower secondary education teachers who would recommend the present school as a good place to work 73.38% (2018) [44/48countries] % of lower secondary education teachers satisfied with their performance in the present school 82.03% (2018) [46/48countries] % of lower secondary education teachers satisfied with the present job all in all 77.89% (2018) [47/48countries] High school students - Performance and preference> South Africa High school students - Things at home> South Africa High school students - Language lessons> South Africa High school students - Mathematics lessons> South Africa High school students - Learning mathematics> South Africa High school students - Mathematics knowledge> South Africa High school students - Internet education> South Africa High school students - Reading> South Africa High school students - Internet use> South Africa High school students - use of digital resources> South Africa High school students - response to a junk mail> South Africa High school students - Impression of PISA Reading Test> South Africa High school students - learning method> South Africa High school students - effort, failure, talent> South Africa High school students - competition and cooperation> South Africa High school students - life> South Africa High school students - feeling> South Africa High school students - goals in school> South Africa High school students - doing things in life> South Africa High school students - significance of school> South Africa High school students - feeling at school> South Africa High school students - views on teachers> South Africa High school students - life before school> South Africa High school students - family support> South Africa High school students - laziness and bullying> South Africa High school students - learning foreign language> South Africa High school students - problem solving> South Africa High school students - future career> South Africa School response to Covid-19> South Africa University> South Africa % of those who think that only students from the best secondary schools can obtain a university education 53.9% (2009) [2/41countries] % of those who think that only the rich can afford a university education 56.4% (2009) [6/41countries] % of those who think that university is open to every gender, ethnicity or social background 63.9% (2009) [17/41countries] % of those who agree that the government is responsible for giving financial help to university students from low-income families 92.8% (2016) [14/35countries] Mass media> South Africa World Press Freedom Index (World ranking) 25 (2023) [25/177countries] Degree of trust in the news media (excluding SNS) (0-10 scale) 5.36 (2020) [8/28countries] % of those who think that it is important that the media can report the news without censorship 82.2% (2019) [26/34countries] % of those who have contacted or appeared in the media to express their views 7.5% (2014) [22/34countries] % of those who watch TV, DVD, videos in their free time daily 59.0% (2007) [32/34countries] % of those who get much enjoyment from watching TV, DVD, videos 64.2% (2007) [10/34countries] % of those who think that television should give preference to the country's own films and programmes 66.4% (2013) [5/33countries] % of those who think that the media has the most influence on the actions of the government 41.0% (2016) [5/35countries]