Nigeria vs South Africa: Educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or
Nigeria
38.2%
in 2024
South Africa
32.4%
in 2024
Nigeria rank
58th
South Africa rank
61st
Educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or over time
- Nigeria
- South Africa
How they compare
Nigeria currently reports 38.2% against 32.4% in South Africa, a difference of 5.8%.
That makes Nigeria's figure about 1.2 times South Africa's.
The two have swapped places 4 times across 5 shared years of data; in 2016 it was Nigeria ahead.
Nigeria ranks 58th and South Africa ranks 61st of 113 countries.
Nigeria has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Nigeria | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 28.0% | 26.6% | 1.3% | Nigeria |
| 2020s | 33.4% | 33.1% | 0.2% | Nigeria |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or, Nigeria or South Africa?
- Nigeria, at 38.2% against 32.4% in South Africa as of 2024.
- What is the difference in educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or between Nigeria and South Africa?
- 5.8%, with Nigeria ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Nigeria and South Africa?
- 5 years are reported by both, from 2016 to 2024.
- How do Nigeria and South Africa rank globally for educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or?
- Nigeria ranks 58th and South Africa ranks 61st of 113 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or higher, population 25+ years, rural, 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