South Africa vs Spain: Educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or

South Africa
84.9%
in 2024
Spain
82.3%
in 2023
South Africa rank
53rd
Spain rank
56th

Educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or over time

  • South Africa
  • Spain
020406080197019972024

How they compare

South Africa currently reports 84.9% against 82.3% in Spain, a difference of 2.6%.

The two have swapped places 5 times across 21 shared years of data; in 1970 it was South Africa ahead.

South Africa ranks 53rd and Spain ranks 56th of 131 countries.

Across the 4 decades both report, South Africa averaged higher in 3 and Spain in 1.

Head to head by decade

Decade South Africa Spain Difference Ahead
1970s 29.9% 6.7% 23.2% South Africa
2000s 65.1% 60.4% 4.8% South Africa
2010s 71.8% 71.4% 0.4% South Africa
2020s 78.4% 81.1% 2.7% Spain

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or, South Africa or Spain?
South Africa, at 84.9% against 82.3% in Spain as of 2024.
What is the difference in educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or between South Africa and Spain?
2.6%, with South Africa ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Spain?
21 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2023.
How do South Africa and Spain rank globally for educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or?
South Africa ranks 53rd and Spain ranks 56th of 131 countries.
Where does this data come from?
UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or higher, population 25+ years, female (%). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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South Africa vs Spain: Educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 02 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/compare/educational-attainment-rate-completed-lower-secondary-education-or-higher-population-25-3/south-africa/spain/

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About this data

Indicator
Educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or higher, population 25+ years, female (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
132 places, 1,881 data points, 1970–2024
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release