Ethiopia vs South Africa: Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes
Ethiopia
5.03 million
in 2015
South Africa
5.50 million
in 2023
Ethiopia rank
24th
South Africa rank
23rd
Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes over time
- Ethiopia
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 5.50 million against 5.03 million in Ethiopia, a difference of 471,360.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.1 times Ethiopia's.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 18 shared years of data; in 1989 it was South Africa ahead.
Ethiopia ranks 24th and South Africa ranks 23rd of 219 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Ethiopia | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 882,119 | 2.55 million | 1.67 million | South Africa |
| 1990s | 882,925 | 3.58 million | 2.70 million | South Africa |
| 2000s | 2.49 million | 4.54 million | 2.05 million | South Africa |
| 2010s | 4.68 million | 4.89 million | 215,750 | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher enrolment in secondary education, both sexes, Ethiopia or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 5.50 million against 5.03 million in Ethiopia as of 2023.
- What is the difference in enrolment in secondary education, both sexes between Ethiopia and South Africa?
- 471,360, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Ethiopia and South Africa?
- 18 years are reported by both, from 1989 to 2015.
- How do Ethiopia and South Africa rank globally for enrolment in secondary education, both sexes?
- Ethiopia ranks 24th and South Africa ranks 23rd of 219 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Enrolment in secondary 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