South Africa vs Spain: Mean years of schooling (ISCED 1 or higher), population 25+ years
South Africa
10.41
in 2023
Spain
10.61
in 2020
South Africa rank
66th
Spain rank
63rd
Mean years of schooling (ISCED 1 or higher), population 25+ years over time
- South Africa
- Spain
How they compare
Spain currently reports 10.61 against 10.41 in South Africa, a difference of 0.2.
The two have swapped places 4 times across 13 shared years of data; in 1970 it was Spain ahead.
South Africa ranks 66th and Spain ranks 63rd of 124 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, South Africa averaged higher in 2 and Spain in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Spain | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 4.64 | 4.7 | 0.0617 | Spain |
| 2000s | 9.09 | 9.03 | 0.0689 | South Africa |
| 2010s | 9.94 | 9.6 | 0.3374 | South Africa |
| 2020s | 10.53 | 10.61 | 0.0771 | Spain |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher mean years of schooling (isced 1 or higher), population 25+ years, South Africa or Spain?
- Spain, at 10.61 against 10.41 in South Africa as of 2020.
- What is the difference in mean years of schooling (isced 1 or higher), population 25+ years between South Africa and Spain?
- 0.2, with Spain ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Spain?
- 13 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2020.
- How do South Africa and Spain rank globally for mean years of schooling (isced 1 or higher), population 25+ years?
- South Africa ranks 66th and Spain ranks 63rd of 124 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Mean years of schooling (ISCED 1 or higher), population 25+ years, both sexes. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
February 2026 Data Release