Pakistan vs South Africa: Share of the population with tertiary education

Pakistan
5.9%
in 2020
South Africa
5.4%
in 2020
Pakistan rank
81st
South Africa rank
82nd

Share of the population with tertiary education over time

  • Pakistan
  • South Africa
0246810187019452020

How they compare

Pakistan currently reports 5.9% against 5.4% in South Africa, a difference of 0.5%.

That makes Pakistan's figure about 1.1 times South Africa's.

The two have swapped places 5 times across 31 shared years of data; in 1870 it was South Africa ahead.

Pakistan ranks 81st and South Africa ranks 82nd of 111 countries.

Across the 16 decades both report, Pakistan averaged higher in 4 and South Africa in 8.

Head to head by decade

Decade Pakistan South Africa Difference Ahead
1870s 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
1880s 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
1890s 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
1900s 0.0% 0.0% 0.0%
1910s 0.2% 0.1% 0.2% Pakistan
1920s 0.5% 0.9% 0.4% South Africa
1930s 0.6% 1.8% 1.2% South Africa
1940s 0.6% 2.6% 1.9% South Africa
1950s 0.7% 3.1% 2.4% South Africa
1960s 0.8% 3.4% 2.6% South Africa
1970s 1.4% 3.2% 1.8% South Africa
1980s 2.2% 1.9% 0.4% Pakistan
1990s 3.6% 7.4% 3.8% South Africa
2000s 7.0% 8.6% 1.6% South Africa
2010s 6.2% 5.8% 0.4% Pakistan
2020s 5.9% 5.4% 0.5% Pakistan

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher share of the population with tertiary education, Pakistan or South Africa?
Pakistan, at 5.9% against 5.4% in South Africa as of 2020.
What is the difference in share of the population with tertiary education between Pakistan and South Africa?
0.5%, with Pakistan ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Pakistan and South Africa?
31 years are reported by both, from 1870 to 2020.
How do Pakistan and South Africa rank globally for share of the population with tertiary education?
Pakistan ranks 81st and South Africa ranks 82nd 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 the population with tertiary education. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Pakistan vs South Africa: Share of the population with tertiary education. Statizoid, drawing on Barro and Lee (2015); Lee and Lee (2016) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 06 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/compare/share-of-the-population-with-completed-tertiary-education/pakistan/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of the population with tertiary 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

Percentage of the population aged 25 to 65 years who have either completed or partially completed tertiary education.