Chile vs South Africa: Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes
Chile
1.37 million
in 2024
South Africa
1.19 million
in 2023
Chile rank
36th
South Africa rank
37th
Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes over time
- Chile
- South Africa
How they compare
Chile currently reports 1.37 million against 1.19 million in South Africa, a difference of 179,780.
That makes Chile's figure about 1.2 times South Africa's.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 19 shared years of data; in 1970 it was South Africa ahead.
Chile ranks 36th and South Africa ranks 37th of 200 countries.
Across the 5 decades both report, Chile averaged higher in 3 and South Africa in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Chile | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 112,440 | 90,637 | 21,804 | Chile |
| 1980s | 234,973 | 378,731 | 143,758 | South Africa |
| 1990s | 304,581 | 532,022 | 227,440 | South Africa |
| 2010s | 1.21 million | 1.08 million | 135,195 | Chile |
| 2020s | 1.28 million | 1.19 million | 89,048 | Chile |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes, Chile or South Africa?
- Chile, at 1.37 million against 1.19 million in South Africa as of 2024.
- What is the difference in enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes between Chile and South Africa?
- 179,780, with Chile ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Chile and South Africa?
- 19 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2023.
- How do Chile and South Africa rank globally for enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes?
- Chile ranks 36th and South Africa ranks 37th of 200 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, 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