Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in South Africa
South Africa: Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education was 1.13 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
The most recent figure for educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in South Africa is 1.13 GPIA, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 27 years on record.
The figure is up 0.1% on the previous year and up 26.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in South Africa peaked at 1.13 GPIA in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0.4893 GPIA, in 1985.
South Africa ranks 51st of 127 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.
Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in South Africa, year by year
| Year | GPIA | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 0.7211 GPIA | — |
| 1985 | 0.4893 GPIA | -32.1% |
| 2000 | 0.7094 GPIA | +45.0% |
| 2001 | 0.7179 GPIA | +1.2% |
| 2002 | 0.6883 GPIA | -4.1% |
| 2003 | 0.7185 GPIA | +4.4% |
| 2004 | 0.7823 GPIA | +8.9% |
| 2005 | 0.6872 GPIA | -12.2% |
| 2006 | 0.7054 GPIA | +2.6% |
| 2007 | 0.7281 GPIA | +3.2% |
| 2008 | 0.83 GPIA | +14.0% |
| 2009 | 0.8682 GPIA | +4.6% |
| 2010 | 0.8068 GPIA | -7.1% |
| 2011 | 0.8408 GPIA | +4.2% |
| 2012 | 0.8165 GPIA | -2.9% |
| 2013 | 0.977 GPIA | +19.7% |
| 2014 | 0.8905 GPIA | -8.8% |
| 2015 | 0.891 GPIA | +0.1% |
| 2016 | 1.01 GPIA | +13.2% |
| 2017 | 1.03 GPIA | +1.8% |
| 2018 | 1.05 GPIA | +2.5% |
| 2019 | 1.06 GPIA | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 1.09 GPIA | +3.6% |
| 2021 | 1.02 GPIA | -6.8% |
| 2022 | 1.11 GPIA | +8.6% |
| 2023 | 1.12 GPIA | +1.5% |
| 2024 | 1.13 GPIA | +0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 0.7211 GPIA | 0.7211 GPIA | 0.7211 GPIA | 1 |
| 1980s | 0.4893 GPIA | 0.4893 GPIA | 0.4893 GPIA | 1 |
| 2000s | 0.7435 GPIA | 0.6872 GPIA | 0.8682 GPIA | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.9364 GPIA | 0.8068 GPIA | 1.06 GPIA | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.09 GPIA | 1.02 GPIA | 1.13 GPIA | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More education data for South Africa
- 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)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 444,590 (2023)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number) -4.38 % change on previous year (2023)
- Theoretical duration of primary education (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- 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)
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 1.13 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 1.13 GPIA in 2024.
- What is the lowest educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.4893 GPIA in 1985.
- How does South Africa rank for educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education?
- South Africa ranks 51st out of 127 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 26.3%. 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, adjusted gender parity index (GPIA). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 27 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release