Kenya vs South Africa: Enrolment in primary education, both sexes
Kenya
8.04 million
in 2023
South Africa
7.52 million
in 2023
Kenya rank
18th
South Africa rank
21st
Enrolment in primary education, both sexes over time
- Kenya
- South Africa
How they compare
Kenya currently reports 8.04 million against 7.52 million in South Africa, a difference of 522,200.
That makes Kenya's figure about 1.1 times South Africa's.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 38 shared years of data; in 1970 it was South Africa ahead.
Kenya ranks 18th and South Africa ranks 21st of 218 countries.
Across the 6 decades both report, Kenya averaged higher in 2 and South Africa in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Kenya | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2.56 million | 4.27 million | 1.71 million | South Africa |
| 1980s | 4.03 million | 5.06 million | 1.03 million | South Africa |
| 1990s | 4.59 million | 7.70 million | 3.12 million | South Africa |
| 2000s | 5.97 million | 7.35 million | 1.38 million | South Africa |
| 2010s | 7.82 million | 7.44 million | 385,809 | Kenya |
| 2020s | 7.88 million | 7.64 million | 234,178 | Kenya |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher enrolment in primary education, both sexes, Kenya or South Africa?
- Kenya, at 8.04 million against 7.52 million in South Africa as of 2023.
- What is the difference in enrolment in primary education, both sexes between Kenya and South Africa?
- 522,200, with Kenya ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Kenya and South Africa?
- 38 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2023.
- How do Kenya and South Africa rank globally for enrolment in primary education, both sexes?
- Kenya ranks 18th and South Africa ranks 21st of 218 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
February 2026 Data Release