South Africa vs Sri Lanka: Educational attainment: at least some primary (ISCED 1), population
South Africa
98.3%
in 2024
Sri Lanka
98.4%
in 2024
South Africa rank
52nd
Sri Lanka rank
51st
Educational attainment: at least some primary (ISCED 1), population over time
- South Africa
- Sri Lanka
How they compare
Sri Lanka currently reports 98.4% against 98.3% in South Africa, a difference of 0.1%.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 18 shared years of data; in 2001 it was Sri Lanka ahead.
South Africa ranks 52nd and Sri Lanka ranks 51st of 100 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, South Africa averaged higher in 1 and Sri Lanka in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Sri Lanka | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 93.9% | 96.6% | 2.7% | Sri Lanka |
| 2010s | 97.0% | 97.7% | 0.7% | Sri Lanka |
| 2020s | 98.1% | 98.0% | 0.1% | South Africa |
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 98.4% against 98.3% 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?
- 0.1%, 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 52nd and Sri Lanka ranks 51st of 100 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Educational attainment: at least some primary (ISCED 1), population 25+ years, urban, 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