Costa Rica vs South Africa: Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education

Costa Rica
0.4695 LPIA
in 2024
South Africa
0.4401 LPIA
in 2024
Costa Rica rank
45th
South Africa rank
48th

Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education over time

  • Costa Rica
  • South Africa
00.10.20.30.40.5197019972024

How they compare

Costa Rica currently reports 0.4695 LPIA against 0.4401 LPIA in South Africa, a difference of 0.0294 LPIA.

That makes Costa Rica's figure about 1.1 times South Africa's.

The two have swapped places 3 times across 22 shared years of data; in 2001 it was South Africa ahead.

Costa Rica ranks 45th and South Africa ranks 48th of 93 countries.

Costa Rica has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Costa Rica South Africa Difference Ahead
2000s 0.3278 LPIA 0.2172 LPIA 0.1107 LPIA Costa Rica
2010s 0.3824 LPIA 0.2601 LPIA 0.1223 LPIA Costa Rica
2020s 0.441 LPIA 0.398 LPIA 0.043 LPIA Costa Rica

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education, Costa Rica or South Africa?
Costa Rica, at 0.4695 LPIA against 0.4401 LPIA in South Africa as of 2024.
What is the difference in educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education between Costa Rica and South Africa?
0.0294 LPIA, with Costa Rica ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Costa Rica and South Africa?
22 years are reported by both, from 2001 to 2024.
How do Costa Rica and South Africa rank globally for educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education?
Costa Rica ranks 45th and South Africa ranks 48th of 93 countries.
Where does this data come from?
UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education or higher, population 25+ years, adjusted location parity index (LPIA). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Costa Rica vs South Africa: Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 09 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/compare/educational-attainment-rate-completed-short-cycle-tertiary-education-or-higher-population-12/costa-rica/south-africa/

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<a href="https://education.statizoid.com/compare/educational-attainment-rate-completed-short-cycle-tertiary-education-or-higher-population-12/costa-rica/south-africa/">Costa Rica vs South Africa: Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education or higher, population 25+ years, adjusted location parity index (LPIA)
Unit
LPIA
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
93 places, 1,472 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release