Costa Rica vs South Africa: Educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher
Costa Rica
77.2%
in 2024
South Africa
79.3%
in 2024
Costa Rica rank
62nd
South Africa rank
61st
Educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher over time
- Costa Rica
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 79.3% against 77.2% in Costa Rica, a difference of 2.1%.
The two have swapped places 5 times across 24 shared years of data; in 2001 it was Costa Rica ahead.
Costa Rica ranks 62nd and South Africa ranks 61st of 103 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, Costa Rica averaged higher in 2 and South Africa in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Costa Rica | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 65.6% | 49.6% | 16.0% | Costa Rica |
| 2010s | 71.3% | 65.6% | 5.7% | Costa Rica |
| 2020s | 75.3% | 76.6% | 1.3% | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher, Costa Rica or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 79.3% against 77.2% in Costa Rica as of 2024.
- What is the difference in educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher between Costa Rica and South Africa?
- 2.1%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Costa Rica and South Africa?
- 24 years are reported by both, from 2001 to 2024.
- How do Costa Rica and South Africa rank globally for educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher?
- Costa Rica ranks 62nd and South Africa ranks 61st of 103 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher, population 25+ years, rural, 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