Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in South Africa
South Africa: Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education was 1.15 GPIA in 2024. ▲ Rising
Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in South Africa, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in GPIA.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 1.15 GPIA for educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 5.3% on the previous year and up 8.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in South Africa peaked at 1.25 GPIA in 2017 and was at its lowest, 0.5996 GPIA, in 2005.
That places South Africa 47th out of 88 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.
Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in South Africa, year by year
| Year | GPIA | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 0.7863 GPIA | — |
| 2002 | 0.6623 GPIA | -15.8% |
| 2003 | 0.9198 GPIA | +38.9% |
| 2004 | 0.8685 GPIA | -5.6% |
| 2005 | 0.5996 GPIA | -31.0% |
| 2006 | 0.7609 GPIA | +26.9% |
| 2007 | 0.7115 GPIA | -6.5% |
| 2008 | 0.8003 GPIA | +12.5% |
| 2009 | 0.9908 GPIA | +23.8% |
| 2010 | 0.6964 GPIA | -29.7% |
| 2011 | 0.8484 GPIA | +21.8% |
| 2012 | 1.05 GPIA | +23.6% |
| 2013 | 1.11 GPIA | +5.5% |
| 2014 | 1.06 GPIA | -4.4% |
| 2015 | 1.06 GPIA | -0.0% |
| 2016 | 1.03 GPIA | -2.3% |
| 2017 | 1.25 GPIA | +20.9% |
| 2018 | 1.06 GPIA | -15.4% |
| 2019 | 1.09 GPIA | +2.9% |
| 2020 | 1.07 GPIA | -1.9% |
| 2021 | 1.1 GPIA | +2.8% |
| 2022 | 1.16 GPIA | +6.0% |
| 2023 | 1.21 GPIA | +4.2% |
| 2024 | 1.15 GPIA | -5.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.7863 GPIA | 0.7863 GPIA | 0.7863 GPIA | 1 |
| 2000s | 0.7892 GPIA | 0.5996 GPIA | 0.9908 GPIA | 8 |
| 2010s | 1.02 GPIA | 0.6964 GPIA | 1.25 GPIA | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.14 GPIA | 1.07 GPIA | 1.21 GPIA | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More education data for South Africa
- Theoretical duration of pre-primary education (years), annual growth 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Start of the academic school year (pre-primary to post-secondary non) 0.0494 % change on previous year (2025)
- Theoretical duration of lower secondary education (years), annual 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Theoretical duration of upper secondary education (years), annual 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Theoretical duration of secondary education (years), annual growth 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Start of the academic school year (tertiary education), gaps filled 2,023 tertiary education (2023)
- Start of the academic school year (tertiary education), annual growth 0.0495 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 287,310 (2023)
- Duration of pre primary education, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Duration of pre primary education 4 (2025)
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 1.15 GPIA 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 1.25 GPIA in 2017.
- What is the lowest educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.5996 GPIA in 2005.
- How does South Africa rank for educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education?
- South Africa ranks 47th out of 88 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 8.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- 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, adjusted gender parity index (GPIA). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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