South Africa vs Tonga: Official entrance age to upper secondary education
South Africa
16 years
in 2025
Tonga
16 years
in 2025
South Africa rank
10th
Tonga rank
10th
Official entrance age to upper secondary education over time
- South Africa
- Tonga
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 16 years against 16 years in Tonga, a difference of 0 years.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 56 shared years of data; in 1970 it was Tonga ahead.
South Africa ranks 10th and Tonga ranks 10th of 215 countries.
Across the 6 decades both report, South Africa averaged higher in 3 and Tonga in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Tonga | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 16 years | 16 years | 0 years | — |
| 1980s | 16 years | 15.4 years | 0.6 years | South Africa |
| 1990s | 16 years | 15 years | 1 years | South Africa |
| 2000s | 16 years | 15 years | 1 years | South Africa |
| 2010s | 16 years | 16.6 years | 0.6 years | Tonga |
| 2020s | 16 years | 16.5 years | 0.5 years | Tonga |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher official entrance age to upper secondary education, South Africa or Tonga?
- South Africa, at 16 years against 16 years in Tonga as of 2025.
- What is the difference in official entrance age to upper secondary education between South Africa and Tonga?
- 0 years, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Tonga?
- 56 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2025.
- How do South Africa and Tonga rank globally for official entrance age to upper secondary education?
- South Africa ranks 10th and Tonga ranks 10th of 215 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Official entrance age to upper 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