South Africa vs United States of America: Educational attainment rate, completed post-secondary non-tertiary
South Africa
51.1%
in 2024
United States of America
52.0%
in 2024
South Africa rank
20th
United States of America rank
18th
Educational attainment rate, completed post-secondary non-tertiary over time
- South Africa
- United States of America
How they compare
United States of America currently reports 52.0% against 51.1% in South Africa, a difference of 0.9%.
Across all 8 years both countries report, United States of America has been ahead every year.
South Africa ranks 20th and United States of America ranks 18th of 111 countries.
United States of America has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | United States of America | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 9.6% | 35.0% | 25.5% | United States of America |
| 2010s | 14.6% | 46.9% | 32.3% | United States of America |
| 2020s | 49.8% | 50.9% | 1.1% | United States of America |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher educational attainment rate, completed post-secondary non-tertiary, South Africa or United States of America?
- United States of America, at 52.0% against 51.1% in South Africa as of 2024.
- What is the difference in educational attainment rate, completed post-secondary non-tertiary between South Africa and United States of America?
- 0.9%, with United States of America ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and United States of America?
- 8 years are reported by both, from 2001 to 2024.
- How do South Africa and United States of America rank globally for educational attainment rate, completed post-secondary non-tertiary?
- South Africa ranks 20th and United States of America ranks 18th of 111 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Educational attainment rate, completed post-secondary non-tertiary education or higher, population 25+ years, female (%). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
February 2026 Data Release