South Africa vs Sri Lanka: Educational attainment: at least some primary (ISCED 1), population
South Africa
96.7%
in 2024
Sri Lanka
97.1%
in 2024
South Africa rank
73rd
Sri Lanka rank
71st
Educational attainment: at least some primary (ISCED 1), population over time
- South Africa
- Sri Lanka
How they compare
Sri Lanka currently reports 97.1% against 96.7% in South Africa, a difference of 0.4%.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 18 shared years of data; in 2001 it was Sri Lanka ahead.
South Africa ranks 73rd and Sri Lanka ranks 71st of 137 countries.
Sri Lanka has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Sri Lanka | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 88.0% | 94.3% | 6.3% | Sri Lanka |
| 2010s | 94.0% | 96.3% | 2.3% | Sri Lanka |
| 2020s | 96.2% | 96.8% | 0.6% | Sri Lanka |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher educational attainment: at least some primary (isced 1), population, South Africa or Sri Lanka?
- Sri Lanka, at 97.1% against 96.7% in South Africa as of 2024.
- What is the difference in educational attainment: at least some primary (isced 1), population between South Africa and Sri Lanka?
- 0.4%, with Sri Lanka ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Sri Lanka?
- 18 years are reported by both, from 2001 to 2024.
- How do South Africa and Sri Lanka rank globally for educational attainment: at least some primary (isced 1), population?
- South Africa ranks 73rd and Sri Lanka ranks 71st of 137 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Educational attainment: at least some primary (ISCED 1), population 25+ years, both sexes (%). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
February 2026 Data Release