Saudi Arabia vs South Africa: Average years of schooling among adults
Saudi Arabia
11.61 years
in 2023
South Africa
11.61 years
in 2023
Saudi Arabia rank
53rd
South Africa rank
51st
Average years of schooling among adults over time
- Saudi Arabia
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 11.61 years against 11.61 years in Saudi Arabia, a difference of 0 years.
The two have swapped places 4 times across 34 shared years of data; in 1990 it was South Africa ahead.
Saudi Arabia ranks 53rd and South Africa ranks 51st of 192 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Saudi Arabia averaged higher in 1 and South Africa in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Saudi Arabia | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 6.05 years | 7.75 years | 1.7 years | South Africa |
| 2000s | 7.66 years | 8.7 years | 1.03 years | South Africa |
| 2010s | 9.88 years | 10.22 years | 0.3377 years | South Africa |
| 2020s | 11.53 years | 11.35 years | 0.1861 years | Saudi Arabia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher average years of schooling among adults, Saudi Arabia or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 11.61 years against 11.61 years in Saudi Arabia as of 2023.
- What is the difference in average years of schooling among adults between Saudi Arabia and South Africa?
- 0 years, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Saudi Arabia and South Africa?
- 34 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2023.
- How do Saudi Arabia and South Africa rank globally for average years of schooling among adults?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 53rd and South Africa ranks 51st of 192 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNDP, Human Development Report (2025) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Average years of schooling among adults. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Average number of years (excluding years spent repeating individual grades) adults over 25 years participated in formal education.