South Africa vs Zambia: Lower secondary school starting age
South Africa
14 years
in 2025
Zambia
14 years
in 2025
South Africa rank
1st
Zambia rank
1st
Lower secondary school starting age over time
- South Africa
- Zambia
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 14 years against 14 years in Zambia, a difference of 0 years.
Across all 56 years both countries report, Zambia has been ahead every year.
South Africa ranks 1st and Zambia ranks 1st of 209 countries.
Zambia has averaged higher in every one of the 6 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Zambia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 13 years | 14 years | 1 years | Zambia |
| 1980s | 13 years | 14 years | 1 years | Zambia |
| 1990s | 13.3 years | 14 years | 0.7 years | Zambia |
| 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, South Africa or Zambia?
- South Africa, at 14 years against 14 years in Zambia as of 2025.
- What is the difference in lower secondary school starting age between South Africa and Zambia?
- 0 years, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Zambia?
- 56 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2025.
- How do South Africa and Zambia rank globally for lower secondary school starting age?
- South Africa ranks 1st and Zambia 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.
Individual pages
About this data
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.