South Africa vs Thailand: Duration of compulsory education
South Africa
9 years
in 2025
Thailand
9 years
in 2025
South Africa rank
120th
Thailand rank
120th
Duration of compulsory education over time
- South Africa
- Thailand
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 9 years against 9 years in Thailand, a difference of 0 years.
Across all 27 years both countries report, Thailand has been ahead every year.
South Africa ranks 120th and Thailand ranks 120th of 205 countries.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Thailand | 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, South Africa or Thailand?
- South Africa, at 9 years against 9 years in Thailand as of 2025.
- What is the difference in duration of compulsory education between South Africa and Thailand?
- 0 years, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Thailand?
- 27 years are reported by both, from 1999 to 2025.
- How do South Africa and Thailand rank globally for duration of compulsory education?
- South Africa ranks 120th and Thailand 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.