South Africa vs Zimbabwe: Share of population with no formal education

South Africa
1.9%
in 2020
Zimbabwe
1.9%
in 2020
South Africa rank
68th
Zimbabwe rank
68th

Share of population with no formal education over time

  • South Africa
  • Zimbabwe
020406080100187019452020

How they compare

South Africa currently reports 1.9% against 1.9% in Zimbabwe, a difference of 0.0%.

The two have swapped places 4 times across 31 shared years of data; in 1870 it was Zimbabwe ahead.

South Africa ranks 68th and Zimbabwe ranks 68th of 111 countries.

Across the 16 decades both report, South Africa averaged higher in 4 and Zimbabwe in 11.

Head to head by decade

Decade South Africa Zimbabwe Difference Ahead
1870s 86.4% 100.0% 13.6% Zimbabwe
1880s 81.0% 100.0% 19.0% Zimbabwe
1890s 76.8% 100.0% 23.2% Zimbabwe
1900s 78.5% 99.8% 21.4% Zimbabwe
1910s 76.5% 97.4% 21.0% Zimbabwe
1920s 65.2% 92.0% 26.9% Zimbabwe
1930s 58.2% 79.3% 21.0% Zimbabwe
1940s 52.9% 66.6% 13.7% Zimbabwe
1950s 47.7% 54.5% 6.8% Zimbabwe
1960s 43.0% 40.2% 2.7% South Africa
1970s 33.8% 27.1% 6.7% South Africa
1980s 21.3% 22.7% 1.4% Zimbabwe
1990s 7.4% 10.5% 3.1% Zimbabwe
2000s 11.1% 6.0% 5.1% South Africa
2010s 3.5% 3.2% 0.2% South Africa
2020s 1.9% 1.9% 0.0%

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher share of population with no formal education, South Africa or Zimbabwe?
South Africa, at 1.9% against 1.9% in Zimbabwe as of 2020.
What is the difference in share of population with no formal education between South Africa and Zimbabwe?
0.0%, with South Africa ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Zimbabwe?
31 years are reported by both, from 1870 to 2020.
How do South Africa and Zimbabwe rank globally for share of population with no formal education?
South Africa ranks 68th and Zimbabwe ranks 68th of 111 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Barro and Lee (2015); Lee and Lee (2016) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Share of population with no formal education. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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South Africa vs Zimbabwe: Share of population with no formal education. Statizoid, drawing on Barro and Lee (2015); Lee and Lee (2016) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 09 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/compare/share-of-population-15-years-and-older-with-no-education/south-africa/zimbabwe/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of population with no formal education
Unit
%
Source
Barro and Lee (2015); Lee and Lee (2016) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
111 places, 3,441 data points, 1870–2020
Last refreshed

The share of adults aged between 15 and 64 years old with no formal education.