Saudi Arabia vs South Africa: Educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher
Saudi Arabia
90.1%
in 2024
South Africa
88.7%
in 2024
Saudi Arabia rank
78th
South Africa rank
81st
Educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher over time
- Saudi Arabia
- South Africa
How they compare
Saudi Arabia currently reports 90.1% against 88.7% in South Africa, a difference of 1.4%.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 10 shared years of data; in 2004 it was South Africa ahead.
Saudi Arabia ranks 78th and South Africa ranks 81st of 136 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Saudi Arabia | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 55.3% | 70.0% | 14.7% | South Africa |
| 2010s | 78.8% | 82.6% | 3.8% | South Africa |
| 2020s | 85.5% | 87.2% | 1.6% | 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, Saudi Arabia or South Africa?
- Saudi Arabia, at 90.1% against 88.7% in South Africa as of 2024.
- What is the difference in educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher between Saudi Arabia and South Africa?
- 1.4%, with Saudi Arabia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Saudi Arabia and South Africa?
- 10 years are reported by both, from 2004 to 2024.
- How do Saudi Arabia and South Africa rank globally for educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 78th and South Africa ranks 81st of 136 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Educational attainment rate, completed primary 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