Italy vs South Africa: Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes
Italy
4.61 million
in 2023
South Africa
5.50 million
in 2023
Italy rank
26th
South Africa rank
23rd
Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes over time
- Italy
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 5.50 million against 4.61 million in Italy, a difference of 893,990.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.2 times Italy's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 29 shared years of data; in 1989 it was Italy ahead.
Italy ranks 26th and South Africa ranks 23rd of 219 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, Italy averaged higher in 2 and South Africa in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Italy | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 5.28 million | 2.55 million | 2.73 million | Italy |
| 1990s | 4.85 million | 3.55 million | 1.30 million | Italy |
| 2000s | 4.52 million | 4.54 million | 23,891 | South Africa |
| 2010s | 4.61 million | 4.96 million | 354,339 | South Africa |
| 2020s | 4.63 million | 5.33 million | 700,908 | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher enrolment in secondary education, both sexes, Italy or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 5.50 million against 4.61 million in Italy as of 2023.
- What is the difference in enrolment in secondary education, both sexes between Italy and South Africa?
- 893,990, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Italy and South Africa?
- 29 years are reported by both, from 1989 to 2023.
- How do Italy and South Africa rank globally for enrolment in secondary education, both sexes?
- Italy ranks 26th 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