Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in South Africa
South Africa: Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education was 9.9% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in South Africa, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in South Africa stood at 9.9%. That is the highest value across all 24 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 47.8% on the previous year and up 352.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in South Africa peaked at 9.9% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0.9%, in 2005.
That places South Africa 56th out of 89 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 1.2% | — |
| 2002 | 1.2% | +1.8% |
| 2003 | 1.5% | +22.2% |
| 2004 | 1.2% | -15.2% |
| 2005 | 0.9% | -31.1% |
| 2006 | 1.0% | +18.1% |
| 2007 | 1.0% | +2.9% |
| 2008 | 1.1% | +5.1% |
| 2009 | 1.6% | +50.0% |
| 2010 | 1.4% | -14.6% |
| 2011 | 1.7% | +21.9% |
| 2012 | 1.8% | +6.9% |
| 2013 | 4.3% | +135.8% |
| 2014 | 2.2% | -49.1% |
| 2015 | 2.5% | +14.9% |
| 2016 | 4.6% | +83.6% |
| 2017 | 4.7% | +1.9% |
| 2018 | 5.4% | +16.0% |
| 2019 | 5.7% | +3.9% |
| 2020 | 6.3% | +11.2% |
| 2021 | 8.7% | +37.7% |
| 2022 | 5.6% | -35.5% |
| 2023 | 6.7% | +19.5% |
| 2024 | 9.9% | +47.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1.2% | 1.2% | 1.2% | 1 |
| 2000s | 1.2% | 0.9% | 1.6% | 8 |
| 2010s | 3.4% | 1.4% | 5.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 7.4% | 5.6% | 9.9% | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More education data for South Africa
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 2.68 million (2023)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 2.97 % change on previous year (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 818,404 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 3.28 % change on previous year (2023)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 1.19 million (2023)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) -2.55 % change on previous year (2023)
- Teachers in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 225,583 (2023)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 61,727 (2023)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 748,573 (2023)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) -1.43 % change on previous year (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in South Africa?
- Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in South Africa was 9.9% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 9.9% in 2024.
- What is the lowest educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.9% in 2005.
- How does South Africa rank for educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education?
- South Africa ranks 56th out of 89 countries with data for 2024.
- Is educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 352.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education or higher, population 25+ years, rural, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release