South Africa vs United States of America: Share of the population with post-secondary education or higher
South Africa
50.7%
in 2024
United States of America
49.8%
in 2024
South Africa rank
15th
United States of America rank
16th
Share of the population with post-secondary education or higher over time
- South Africa
- United States of America
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 50.7% against 49.8% in United States of America, a difference of 0.9%.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 8 shared years of data; in 2001 it was United States of America ahead.
South Africa ranks 15th and United States of America ranks 16th of 110 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, South Africa averaged higher in 1 and United States of America in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | United States of America | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 10.1% | 35.8% | 25.7% | United States of America |
| 2010s | 14.4% | 45.5% | 31.1% | United States of America |
| 2020s | 49.9% | 48.9% | 1.0% | South Africa |
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, South Africa or United States of America?
- South Africa, at 50.7% against 49.8% in United States of America as of 2024.
- What is the difference in share of the population with post-secondary education or higher between South Africa and United States of America?
- 0.9%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and United States of America?
- 8 years are reported by both, from 2001 to 2024.
- How do South Africa and United States of America rank globally for share of the population with post-secondary education or higher?
- South Africa ranks 15th and United States of America ranks 16th 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.