Kenya vs South Africa: Primary education, pupils

Kenya
8.04 million
in 2023
South Africa
7.52 million
in 2023
Kenya rank
18th
South Africa rank
21st

Primary education, pupils over time

  • Kenya
  • South Africa
2.0M4.0M6.0M8.0M197019962023

How they compare

Kenya currently reports 8.04 million against 7.52 million in South Africa, a difference of 522,200.

That makes Kenya's figure about 1.1 times South Africa's.

The two have swapped places 3 times across 38 shared years of data; in 1970 it was South Africa ahead.

Kenya ranks 18th and South Africa ranks 21st of 206 countries.

Across the 6 decades both report, Kenya averaged higher in 2 and South Africa in 4.

Head to head by decade

Decade Kenya South Africa Difference Ahead
1970s 2.56 million 4.27 million 1.71 million South Africa
1980s 4.03 million 5.06 million 1.03 million South Africa
1990s 4.59 million 7.70 million 3.12 million South Africa
2000s 5.97 million 7.35 million 1.38 million South Africa
2010s 7.82 million 7.44 million 385,809 Kenya
2020s 7.88 million 7.64 million 234,178 Kenya

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher primary education, pupils, Kenya or South Africa?
Kenya, at 8.04 million against 7.52 million in South Africa as of 2023.
What is the difference in primary education, pupils between Kenya and South Africa?
522,200, with Kenya ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Kenya and South Africa?
38 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2023.
How do Kenya and South Africa rank globally for primary education, pupils?
Kenya ranks 18th and South Africa ranks 21st of 206 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as Primary education, pupils. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Kenya vs South Africa: Primary education, pupils. Statizoid, drawing on Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 21 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/compare/primary-education-pupils/kenya/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Primary education, pupils
Source
Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
251 places, 11,297 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

Primary education pupils is the total number of pupils enrolled at primary level in public and private schools.