Colombia vs South Africa: Secondary education, pupils

Colombia
4.85 million
in 2022
South Africa
5.50 million
in 2023
Colombia rank
25th
South Africa rank
23rd

Secondary education, pupils over time

  • Colombia
  • South Africa
1.0M2.0M3.0M4.0M5.0M6.0M197019962023

How they compare

South Africa currently reports 5.50 million against 4.85 million in Colombia, a difference of 650,540.

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

The two have swapped places 2 times across 25 shared years of data; in 1989 it was South Africa ahead.

Colombia ranks 25th and South Africa ranks 23rd of 206 countries.

South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Colombia South Africa Difference Ahead
1980s 2.28 million 2.55 million 269,200 South Africa
1990s 3.11 million 3.75 million 635,430 South Africa
2000s 4.32 million 4.59 million 264,332 South Africa
2010s 4.89 million 4.96 million 72,048 South Africa
2020s 4.88 million 5.28 million 398,570 South Africa

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher secondary education, pupils, Colombia or South Africa?
South Africa, at 5.50 million against 4.85 million in Colombia as of 2023.
What is the difference in secondary education, pupils between Colombia and South Africa?
650,540, with South Africa ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Colombia and South Africa?
25 years are reported by both, from 1989 to 2022.
How do Colombia and South Africa rank globally for secondary education, pupils?
Colombia ranks 25th and South Africa ranks 23rd of 206 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as Secondary education, pupils. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Colombia vs South Africa: Secondary education, pupils. Statizoid, drawing on Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 28 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/compare/secondary-education-pupils/colombia/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Secondary education, pupils
Source
Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
251 places, 10,025 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

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