Iraq vs South Africa: School age population, upper secondary education, both sexes
Iraq
2.99 million
in 2025
South Africa
3.27 million
in 2025
Iraq rank
23rd
South Africa rank
21st
School age population, upper secondary education, both sexes over time
- Iraq
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 3.27 million against 2.99 million in Iraq, a difference of 279,590.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.1 times Iraq's.
Across all 56 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.
Iraq ranks 23rd and South Africa ranks 21st of 220 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 6 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Iraq | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 631,239 | 1.04 million | 410,246 | South Africa |
| 1980s | 1.06 million | 1.40 million | 332,169 | South Africa |
| 1990s | 1.38 million | 2.03 million | 651,758 | South Africa |
| 2000s | 1.81 million | 3.43 million | 1.62 million | South Africa |
| 2010s | 2.36 million | 3.10 million | 740,719 | South Africa |
| 2020s | 2.80 million | 3.07 million | 268,128 | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher school age population, upper secondary education, both sexes, Iraq or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 3.27 million against 2.99 million in Iraq as of 2025.
- What is the difference in school age population, upper secondary education, both sexes between Iraq and South Africa?
- 279,590, 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, upper secondary education, both sexes?
- Iraq ranks 23rd and South Africa ranks 21st of 220 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as School age population, upper secondary 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