South Africa vs Sri Lanka: Educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher
South Africa
93.3%
in 2024
Sri Lanka
93.0%
in 2023
South Africa rank
58th
Sri Lanka rank
60th
Educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher over time
- South Africa
- Sri Lanka
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 93.3% against 93.0% in Sri Lanka, a difference of 0.3%.
Across all 14 years both countries report, Sri Lanka has been ahead every year.
South Africa ranks 58th and Sri Lanka ranks 60th of 106 countries.
Sri Lanka has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Sri Lanka | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 75.0% | 91.6% | 16.5% | Sri Lanka |
| 2010s | 88.9% | 90.9% | 2.0% | Sri Lanka |
| 2020s | 92.4% | 92.8% | 0.5% | Sri Lanka |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher, South Africa or Sri Lanka?
- South Africa, at 93.3% against 93.0% in Sri Lanka as of 2024.
- What is the difference in educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher between South Africa and Sri Lanka?
- 0.3%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Sri Lanka?
- 14 years are reported by both, from 2001 to 2023.
- How do South Africa and Sri Lanka rank globally for educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher?
- South Africa ranks 58th and Sri Lanka ranks 60th of 106 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher, population 25+ years, urban, 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