Portugal vs South Africa: Educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or
Portugal
48.6%
in 2024
South Africa
48.0%
in 2024
Portugal rank
84th
South Africa rank
86th
Educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or over time
- Portugal
- South Africa
How they compare
Portugal currently reports 48.6% against 48.0% in South Africa, a difference of 0.6%.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 17 shared years of data; in 1970 it was South Africa ahead.
Portugal ranks 84th and South Africa ranks 86th of 142 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Portugal | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.6% | 10.3% | 8.7% | South Africa |
| 2000s | 20.2% | 31.8% | 11.5% | South Africa |
| 2010s | 34.1% | 40.8% | 6.6% | South Africa |
| 2020s | 45.3% | 48.0% | 2.7% | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or, Portugal or South Africa?
- Portugal, at 48.6% against 48.0% in South Africa as of 2024.
- What is the difference in educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or between Portugal and South Africa?
- 0.6%, with Portugal ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Portugal and South Africa?
- 17 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2024.
- How do Portugal and South Africa rank globally for educational attainment rate, completed upper secondary education or?
- Portugal ranks 84th and South Africa ranks 86th of 142 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, 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