Poland vs South Africa: Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes
Poland
1.40 million
in 2024
South Africa
1.19 million
in 2023
Poland rank
35th
South Africa rank
37th
Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes over time
- Poland
- South Africa
How they compare
Poland currently reports 1.40 million against 1.19 million in South Africa, a difference of 204,360.
That makes Poland's figure about 1.2 times South Africa's.
Across all 20 years both countries report, Poland has been ahead every year.
Poland ranks 35th and South Africa ranks 37th of 200 countries.
Poland has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Poland | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 429,646 | 98,577 | 331,069 | Poland |
| 1980s | 476,068 | 399,942 | 76,127 | Poland |
| 1990s | 594,879 | 513,419 | 81,460 | Poland |
| 2010s | 1.68 million | 1.08 million | 597,696 | Poland |
| 2020s | 1.36 million | 1.19 million | 173,752 | Poland |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes, Poland or South Africa?
- Poland, at 1.40 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 Poland and South Africa?
- 204,360, with Poland ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Poland and South Africa?
- 20 years are reported by both, from 1973 to 2023.
- How do Poland and South Africa rank globally for enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes?
- Poland ranks 35th 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