South Africa vs Zambia: Official entrance age to lower secondary education
South Africa
14 years
in 2025
Zambia
14 years
in 2025
South Africa rank
1st
Zambia rank
1st
Official entrance age to lower secondary education 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 221 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 official entrance age to lower secondary education, South Africa or Zambia?
- South Africa, at 14 years against 14 years in Zambia as of 2025.
- What is the difference in official entrance age to lower secondary education 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 official entrance age to lower secondary education?
- South Africa ranks 1st and Zambia ranks 1st of 221 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Official entrance age to lower secondary education (years). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
February 2026 Data Release