Leaving school with a matric certificate opens doors for further studies, internships and work.

The percentage of South Africans over 20 years old who have completed high school has more than doubled from 16% in 1996 to 38% in 2022.

In 2022, 12% had also pursued further education after high school. More people see the benefit of staying in school for longer – with the percentage of people with only primary education or less decreasing over the last 26 years.

In 1996, almost 1 in 2 people had only a primary education. In 2022, the percentage had dropped to 18%.