Ecuador vs South Africa: Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes

Ecuador
1.09 million
in 2023
South Africa
1.19 million
in 2023
Ecuador rank
39th
South Africa rank
37th

Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes over time

  • Ecuador
  • South Africa
0250.0k500.0k750.0k1.0M1.2M197019962023

How they compare

South Africa currently reports 1.19 million against 1.09 million in Ecuador, a difference of 100,160.

That makes South Africa's figure about 1.1 times Ecuador's.

Across all 13 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.

Ecuador ranks 39th and South Africa ranks 37th of 200 countries.

South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Ecuador South Africa Difference Ahead
1970s 57,677 98,577 40,900 South Africa
1980s 258,360 399,942 141,582 South Africa
1990s 202,078 453,068 250,990 South Africa
2010s 664,473 1.09 million 424,017 South Africa
2020s 989,857 1.20 million 210,730 South Africa

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes, Ecuador or South Africa?
South Africa, at 1.19 million against 1.09 million in Ecuador as of 2023.
What is the difference in enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes between Ecuador and South Africa?
100,160, with South Africa ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Ecuador and South Africa?
13 years are reported by both, from 1973 to 2023.
How do Ecuador and South Africa rank globally for enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes?
Ecuador ranks 39th 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.

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Ecuador vs South Africa: Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 07 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/compare/enrolment-in-tertiary-education-all-programmes-both-sexes-number-2/ecuador/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number)
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
421 places, 18,321 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release