Australia vs South Africa: Share of the population with post-secondary education or higher
Australia
52.4%
in 2024
South Africa
50.7%
in 2024
Australia rank
12th
South Africa rank
15th
Share of the population with post-secondary education or higher over time
- Australia
- South Africa
How they compare
Australia currently reports 52.4% against 50.7% in South Africa, a difference of 1.7%.
Across all 19 years both countries report, Australia has been ahead every year.
Australia ranks 12th and South Africa ranks 15th of 110 countries.
Australia has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Australia | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 38.1% | 10.9% | 27.3% | Australia |
| 2010s | 45.4% | 14.0% | 31.4% | Australia |
| 2020s | 52.4% | 49.9% | 2.5% | Australia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of the population with post-secondary education or higher, Australia or South Africa?
- Australia, at 52.4% against 50.7% in South Africa as of 2024.
- What is the difference in share of the population with post-secondary education or higher between Australia and South Africa?
- 1.7%, with Australia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Australia and South Africa?
- 19 years are reported by both, from 2001 to 2024.
- How do Australia and South Africa rank globally for share of the population with post-secondary education or higher?
- Australia ranks 12th and South Africa ranks 15th of 110 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Share of the population with post-secondary education or higher. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Share of adults aged 25 and older who have completed post-secondary or tertiary education.