South Africa vs United States of America: Educational attainment rate, completed post-secondary non-tertiary
South Africa
35.4%
in 2024
United States of America
35.7%
in 2024
South Africa rank
12th
United States of America rank
10th
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 35.7% against 35.4% in South Africa, a difference of 0.3%.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 5 shared years of data; in 2007 it was United States of America ahead.
South Africa ranks 12th and United States of America ranks 10th of 75 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, South Africa averaged higher in 1 and United States of America in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | United States of America | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 4.6% | 26.9% | 22.3% | United States of America |
| 2010s | 6.0% | 31.9% | 25.9% | United States of America |
| 2020s | 35.4% | 34.7% | 0.8% | South Africa |
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 35.7% against 35.4% 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?
- 0.3%, with United States of America ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and United States of America?
- 5 years are reported by both, from 2007 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 12th and United States of America ranks 10th of 75 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, rural, male (%). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
February 2026 Data Release