Nigeria vs South Africa: Educational attainment rate, completed Bachelor's or equivalent
Nigeria
16.5%
in 2024
South Africa
17.7%
in 2024
Nigeria rank
60th
South Africa rank
58th
Educational attainment rate, completed Bachelor's or equivalent over time
- Nigeria
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 17.7% against 16.5% in Nigeria, a difference of 1.2%.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.1 times Nigeria's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 5 shared years of data; in 2016 it was Nigeria ahead.
Nigeria ranks 60th and South Africa ranks 58th of 89 countries.
Nigeria has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Nigeria | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 12.2% | 8.7% | 3.5% | Nigeria |
| 2020s | 17.8% | 16.9% | 0.9% | Nigeria |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher educational attainment rate, completed bachelor's or equivalent, Nigeria or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 17.7% against 16.5% in Nigeria as of 2024.
- What is the difference in educational attainment rate, completed bachelor's or equivalent between Nigeria and South Africa?
- 1.2%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Nigeria and South Africa?
- 5 years are reported by both, from 2016 to 2024.
- How do Nigeria and South Africa rank globally for educational attainment rate, completed bachelor's or equivalent?
- Nigeria ranks 60th and South Africa ranks 58th of 89 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Educational attainment rate, completed Bachelor's or equivalent education or higher, 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