Namibia vs South Africa: Lower secondary school starting age

Namibia
14 years
in 2025
South Africa
14 years
in 2025
Namibia rank
1st
South Africa rank
1st

Lower secondary school starting age over time

  • Namibia
  • South Africa
051015197019972025

How they compare

Namibia currently reports 14 years against 14 years in South Africa, a difference of 0 years.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 56 shared years of data; in 1970 it was Namibia ahead.

Namibia ranks 1st and South Africa ranks 1st of 209 countries.

Namibia has averaged higher in every one of the 6 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Namibia South Africa Difference Ahead
1970s 14 years 13 years 1 years Namibia
1980s 14 years 13 years 1 years Namibia
1990s 14 years 13.3 years 0.7 years Namibia
2000s 14 years 14 years 0 years
2010s 14 years 14 years 0 years
2020s 14 years 14 years 0 years

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher lower secondary school starting age, Namibia or South Africa?
Namibia, at 14 years against 14 years in South Africa as of 2025.
What is the difference in lower secondary school starting age between Namibia and South Africa?
0 years, with Namibia ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Namibia and South Africa?
56 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2025.
How do Namibia and South Africa rank globally for lower secondary school starting age?
Namibia ranks 1st and South Africa ranks 1st of 209 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as Lower secondary school starting age (years). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Namibia vs South Africa: Lower secondary school starting age. Statizoid, drawing on Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 23 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/compare/lower-secondary-school-starting-age-years/namibia/south-africa/

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<a href="https://education.statizoid.com/compare/lower-secondary-school-starting-age-years/namibia/south-africa/">Namibia vs South Africa: Lower secondary school starting age</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Lower secondary school starting age (years)
Unit
years
Source
Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
209 places, 11,411 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

Lower secondary school starting age is the age at which students would enter lower secondary education, assuming they had started at the official entrance age for the lowest level of education, had studied full-time throughout and had progressed through the system without repeating or skipping a grade.