Kenya vs South Africa: School age population, pre-primary education, both sexes
Kenya
4.16 million
in 2025
South Africa
4.71 million
in 2025
Kenya rank
17th
South Africa rank
14th
School age population, pre-primary education, both sexes over time
- Kenya
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 4.71 million against 4.16 million in Kenya, a difference of 547,290.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.1 times Kenya's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 56 shared years of data; in 1970 it was Kenya ahead.
Kenya ranks 17th and South Africa ranks 14th of 222 countries.
Across the 6 decades both report, Kenya averaged higher in 3 and South Africa in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Kenya | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.51 million | 737,505 | 769,859 | Kenya |
| 1980s | 2.05 million | 944,458 | 1.11 million | Kenya |
| 1990s | 2.66 million | 1.47 million | 1.20 million | Kenya |
| 2000s | 3.34 million | 3.98 million | 637,838 | South Africa |
| 2010s | 4.13 million | 4.39 million | 261,540 | South Africa |
| 2020s | 4.13 million | 4.40 million | 274,278 | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher school age population, pre-primary education, both sexes, Kenya or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 4.71 million against 4.16 million in Kenya as of 2025.
- What is the difference in school age population, pre-primary education, both sexes between Kenya and South Africa?
- 547,290, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Kenya and South Africa?
- 56 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2025.
- How do Kenya and South Africa rank globally for school age population, pre-primary education, both sexes?
- Kenya ranks 17th and South Africa ranks 14th of 222 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as School age population, pre-primary education, 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