Namibia vs South Africa: School life expectancy, primary, both sexes
Namibia
8.68 years
in 2024
South Africa
7.12 years
in 2023
Namibia rank
4th
South Africa rank
25th
School life expectancy, primary, both sexes over time
- Namibia
- South Africa
How they compare
Namibia currently reports 8.68 years against 7.12 years in South Africa, a difference of 1.56 years.
That makes Namibia's figure about 1.2 times South Africa's.
Across all 35 years both countries report, Namibia has been ahead every year.
Namibia ranks 4th and South Africa ranks 25th of 218 countries.
Namibia has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Namibia | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 9.19 years | 6.05 years | 3.14 years | Namibia |
| 1990s | 9.32 years | 7.23 years | 2.1 years | Namibia |
| 2000s | 8.07 years | 6.85 years | 1.22 years | Namibia |
| 2010s | 8.63 years | 7.25 years | 1.38 years | Namibia |
| 2020s | 8.7 years | 7.14 years | 1.56 years | Namibia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher school life expectancy, primary, both sexes, Namibia or South Africa?
- Namibia, at 8.68 years against 7.12 years in South Africa as of 2024.
- What is the difference in school life expectancy, primary, both sexes between Namibia and South Africa?
- 1.56 years, with Namibia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Namibia and South Africa?
- 35 years are reported by both, from 1986 to 2023.
- How do Namibia and South Africa rank globally for school life expectancy, primary, both sexes?
- Namibia ranks 4th and South Africa ranks 25th of 218 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as School life expectancy, primary, both sexes (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