Iraq vs South Africa: School age population, one year before the official primary entry
Iraq
1.09 million
in 2025
South Africa
1.12 million
in 2025
Iraq rank
26th
South Africa rank
25th
School age population, one year before the official primary entry over time
- Iraq
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 1.12 million against 1.09 million in Iraq, a difference of 23,430.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 56 shared years of data; in 1970 it was South Africa ahead.
Iraq ranks 26th and South Africa ranks 25th of 222 countries.
Across the 6 decades both report, Iraq averaged higher in 1 and South Africa in 5.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Iraq | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 374,407 | 737,505 | 363,098 | South Africa |
| 1980s | 492,483 | 944,458 | 451,975 | South Africa |
| 1990s | 627,293 | 1.14 million | 513,085 | South Africa |
| 2000s | 807,919 | 1.01 million | 197,682 | South Africa |
| 2010s | 1.02 million | 1.07 million | 48,417 | South Africa |
| 2020s | 1.12 million | 1.06 million | 51,752 | Iraq |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher school age population, one year before the official primary entry, Iraq or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 1.12 million against 1.09 million in Iraq as of 2025.
- What is the difference in school age population, one year before the official primary entry between Iraq and South Africa?
- 23,430, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Iraq and South Africa?
- 56 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2025.
- How do Iraq and South Africa rank globally for school age population, one year before the official primary entry?
- Iraq ranks 26th and South Africa ranks 25th of 222 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as School age population, one year before the official primary entry age, both sexes (number). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
February 2026 Data Release