What is the difference in secondary education, pupils between Europe & Central Asia and South Africa?

78.29 million, with Europe & Central Asia ahead.

How many years of comparable data are there for Europe & Central Asia and South Africa?

29 years are reported by both, from 1989 to 2023.

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.

Europe & Central Asia vs South Africa: Secondary education, pupils

Europe & Central Asia

83.79 million

in 2024

South Africa

5.50 million

in 2023

Europe & Central Asia rank

20th

South Africa rank

23rd

Secondary education, pupils over time

Europe & Central Asia
South Africa

How they compare

Europe & Central Asia currently reports 83.79 million against 5.50 million in South Africa, a difference of 78.29 million.

That makes Europe & Central Asia's figure about 15.2 times South Africa's.

Across all 29 years both countries report, Europe & Central Asia has been ahead every year.

Europe & Central Asia ranks 20th and South Africa ranks 23rd of 45 groups.

Europe & Central Asia has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Europe & Central Asia	South Africa	Difference	Ahead
1980s	82.42 million	2.55 million	79.87 million	Europe & Central Asia
1990s	83.50 million	3.55 million	79.96 million	Europe & Central Asia
2000s	83.11 million	4.54 million	78.57 million	Europe & Central Asia
2010s	77.57 million	4.96 million	72.61 million	Europe & Central Asia
2020s	81.83 million	5.33 million	76.50 million	Europe & Central Asia

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher secondary education, pupils, Europe & Central Asia or South Africa?: Europe & Central Asia, at 83.79 million against 5.50 million in South Africa as of 2024.
What is the difference in secondary education, pupils between Europe & Central Asia and South Africa?: 78.29 million, with Europe & Central Asia ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Europe & Central Asia and South Africa?: 29 years are reported by both, from 1989 to 2023.
How do Europe & Central Asia and South Africa rank globally for secondary education, pupils?: Europe & Central Asia ranks 20th and South Africa ranks 23rd of 45 groups.
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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Europe & Central Asia vs South Africa: Secondary education, pupils. Statizoid, drawing on Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 03 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/compare/secondary-education-pupils/europe-and-central-asia/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: 03 September 2026

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