South Africa vs United States of America: Educational attainment rate, completed post-secondary non-tertiary
South Africa
50.7%
in 2024
United States of America
49.8%
in 2024
South Africa rank
15th
United States of America rank
16th
Educational attainment rate, completed post-secondary non-tertiary over time
- South Africa
- United States of America
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 50.7% against 49.8% in United States of America, a difference of 0.9%.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 8 shared years of data; in 2001 it was United States of America ahead.
South Africa ranks 15th and United States of America ranks 16th of 110 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 | 10.1% | 35.8% | 25.7% | United States of America |
| 2010s | 14.4% | 45.5% | 31.1% | United States of America |
| 2020s | 49.9% | 48.9% | 1.0% | 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?
- South Africa, at 50.7% against 49.8% in United States of America 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 South Africa 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 15th and United States of America ranks 16th of 110 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, 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