South Africa vs Timor-Leste: Duration of compulsory education
South Africa
9 years
in 2025
Timor-Leste
9 years
in 2025
South Africa rank
120th
Timor-Leste rank
120th
Duration of compulsory education over time
- South Africa
- Timor-Leste
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 9 years against 9 years in Timor-Leste, a difference of 0 years.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 26 shared years of data; in 2000 it was South Africa ahead.
South Africa ranks 120th and Timor-Leste ranks 120th of 205 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Timor-Leste | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 9 years | 6.6 years | 2.4 years | South Africa |
| 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 Timor-Leste?
- South Africa, at 9 years against 9 years in Timor-Leste as of 2025.
- What is the difference in duration of compulsory education between South Africa and Timor-Leste?
- 0 years, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Timor-Leste?
- 26 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2025.
- How do South Africa and Timor-Leste rank globally for duration of compulsory education?
- South Africa ranks 120th and Timor-Leste 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.