China vs South Africa: Duration of compulsory education
China
9 years
in 2025
South Africa
9 years
in 2025
China rank
120th
South Africa rank
120th
Duration of compulsory education over time
- China
- South Africa
How they compare
China currently reports 9 years against 9 years in South Africa, a difference of 0 years.
Across all 28 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.
China ranks 120th and South Africa ranks 120th of 205 countries.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 9 years | 9 years | 0 years | — |
| 2000s | 9 years | 9 years | 0 years | — |
| 2010s | 9 years | 9 years | 0 years | — |
| 2020s | 9 years | 9 years | 0 years | — |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher duration of compulsory education, China or South Africa?
- China, at 9 years against 9 years in South Africa as of 2025.
- What is the difference in duration of compulsory education between China and South Africa?
- 0 years, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and South Africa?
- 28 years are reported by both, from 1998 to 2025.
- How do China and South Africa rank globally for duration of compulsory education?
- China ranks 120th and South Africa ranks 120th of 205 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Duration of compulsory education. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
The number of years of compulsory education is based on students starting at the earliest entrance age, studying full-time, and advancing without grade repetition or skipping.