South Africa vs Zambia: Theoretical duration of lower secondary education
South Africa
2 years
in 2025
Zambia
2 years
in 2025
South Africa rank
205th
Zambia rank
205th
Theoretical duration of lower secondary education over time
- South Africa
- Zambia
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 2 years against 2 years in Zambia, a difference of 0 years.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 56 shared years of data; in 1970 it was Zambia ahead.
South Africa ranks 205th and Zambia ranks 205th of 221 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 6 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Zambia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 3 years | 3 years | 0 years | — |
| 1980s | 3 years | 2.5 years | 0.5 years | South Africa |
| 1990s | 2.7 years | 2 years | 0.7 years | South Africa |
| 2000s | 2 years | 2 years | 0 years | — |
| 2010s | 2 years | 2 years | 0 years | — |
| 2020s | 2 years | 2 years | 0 years | — |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher theoretical duration of lower secondary education, South Africa or Zambia?
- South Africa, at 2 years against 2 years in Zambia as of 2025.
- What is the difference in theoretical duration of lower secondary education between South Africa and Zambia?
- 0 years, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Zambia?
- 56 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2025.
- How do South Africa and Zambia rank globally for theoretical duration of lower secondary education?
- South Africa ranks 205th and Zambia ranks 205th of 221 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Theoretical duration of lower secondary education (years). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
February 2026 Data Release