South Africa vs Spain: Share of the population with lower secondary education
South Africa
85.4%
in 2024
Spain
84.3%
in 2023
South Africa rank
54th
Spain rank
57th
Share of the population with lower secondary education over time
- South Africa
- Spain
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 85.4% against 84.3% in Spain, a difference of 1.1%.
The two have swapped places 5 times across 21 shared years of data; in 1970 it was South Africa ahead.
South Africa ranks 54th and Spain ranks 57th of 135 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, South Africa averaged higher in 2 and Spain in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Spain | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 31.1% | 9.4% | 21.6% | South Africa |
| 2000s | 67.2% | 63.7% | 3.5% | South Africa |
| 2010s | 73.4% | 74.1% | 0.7% | Spain |
| 2020s | 79.4% | 83.1% | 3.7% | Spain |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of the population with lower secondary education, South Africa or Spain?
- South Africa, at 85.4% against 84.3% in Spain as of 2024.
- What is the difference in share of the population with lower secondary education between South Africa and Spain?
- 1.1%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Spain?
- 21 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2023.
- How do South Africa and Spain rank globally for share of the population with lower secondary education?
- South Africa ranks 54th and Spain ranks 57th of 135 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 lower secondary education. 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 lower secondary education or higher.