South Africa vs Uruguay: Educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher
South Africa
81.9%
in 2024
Uruguay
86.1%
in 2024
South Africa rank
60th
Uruguay rank
58th
Educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher over time
- South Africa
- Uruguay
How they compare
Uruguay currently reports 86.1% against 81.9% in South Africa, a difference of 4.2%.
That makes Uruguay's figure about 1.1 times South Africa's.
Across all 17 years both countries report, Uruguay has been ahead every year.
South Africa ranks 60th and Uruguay ranks 58th of 100 countries.
Uruguay has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Uruguay | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 59.1% | 71.1% | 12.1% | Uruguay |
| 2010s | 70.0% | 78.3% | 8.3% | Uruguay |
| 2020s | 80.0% | 84.3% | 4.2% | Uruguay |
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 Uruguay?
- Uruguay, at 86.1% against 81.9% in South Africa as of 2024.
- What is the difference in educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher between South Africa and Uruguay?
- 4.2%, with Uruguay ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Uruguay?
- 17 years are reported by both, from 2006 to 2024.
- How do South Africa and Uruguay rank globally for educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher?
- South Africa ranks 60th and Uruguay ranks 58th of 100 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, 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