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

Netherlands
889,506 number
in 2018
South Africa
1.18 million number
in 2018
Netherlands rank
39th
South Africa rank
36th

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

  • Netherlands
  • South Africa
0250.0k500.0k750.0k1.0M1.2M197019942018

How they compare

South Africa currently reports 1.18 million number against 889,506 number in Netherlands, a difference of 288,174 number.

That makes South Africa's figure about 1.3 times Netherlands's.

The two have swapped places 3 times across 12 shared years of data; in 1988 it was Netherlands ahead.

Netherlands ranks 39th and South Africa ranks 36th of 193 countries.

Across the 3 decades both report, Netherlands averaged higher in 1 and South Africa in 2.

Head to head by decade

Decade Netherlands South Africa Difference Ahead
1980s 414,668 number 399,942 number 14,726 number Netherlands
1990s 489,781 number 513,419 number 23,638 number South Africa
2010s 847,637 number 1.08 million number 233,141 number 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, Netherlands or South Africa?
South Africa, at 1.18 million number against 889,506 number in Netherlands as of 2018.
What is the difference in enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes between Netherlands and South Africa?
288,174 number, with South Africa ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Netherlands and South Africa?
12 years are reported by both, from 1988 to 2018.
How do Netherlands and South Africa rank globally for enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes?
Netherlands ranks 39th and South Africa ranks 36th of 193 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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Netherlands 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/netherlands/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number)
Unit
number
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
238 places, 8,058 data points, 1970–2020
Last refreshed

The total number of students enrolled at public and private tertiary education institutions.