South Africa's Census 2022 revealed that about 5.2 million young people are not attending school, a significant increase from the 13.8 million reported in 2011. The number of young people not attending school has risen by 200,000 since 2011, with Gauteng having the highest number at 1.3 million. However, five provinces, including the Western Cape, have seen an increase in the number of those not in school.
Wits University's education economist Brahm Fleisch said the school attendance rate was gradual but encouraging. He warned that the increase in school attendance could lead to overcrowding in schools if the government does not match the pupil number increase with more teachers and classes. The report noted that SA had intensified measures to prevent school dropouts, resulting in fewer children dropping out of school compared to those during apartheid.
The percentage of individuals attending school increased from 70.1% in 1996 to 73.4% in 2022, but not much change was observed between 2011 and 2022. The percentage of black Africans who attended school increased, while the number of individuals not attending school declined across all population groups from 1996 to 2022. The white population group experienced a substantial decline from 29.4% in 1996 to 22.6% in 2022, and black Africans from 29.3% in 1996 to 25.9% in 2022.
Over 55,000 homeless people were recorded, with more males (70.1%) than females (29.9%), for both roofless and sheltered areas. Homelessness is more prevalent in metropolitan areas (74.1%) compared to non-metropolitan areas (25.9%). The majority of homeless people were those who left their jobs (41%) and those who abuse drugs or alcohol (25%). There were more homeless children aged 0 to 17 living in shelters compared to those on the streets.
President Cyril Ramaphosa commended Stats SA for placing an absolute premium on the credibility and integrity of the data, stating that accurate data informs the planning, budgeting, and policymaking work of governments. The report also revealed that internal migration was geared mostly towards Gauteng from other provinces, followed by the Western Cape.
