Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in South Africa
South Africa: Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education was 22.4% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in South Africa, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in South Africa is 22.4%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 24 years on record.
The figure is up 29.6% on the previous year and up 150.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in South Africa peaked at 22.4% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 4.8%, in 2006.
That places South Africa 62nd out of 101 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 | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 5.1% | — |
| 2002 | 5.7% | +11.4% |
| 2003 | 6.7% | +17.7% |
| 2004 | 6.3% | -5.1% |
| 2005 | 4.8% | -24.1% |
| 2006 | 4.8% | -1.1% |
| 2007 | 5.1% | +7.4% |
| 2008 | 6.0% | +17.0% |
| 2009 | 7.5% | +25.4% |
| 2010 | 7.8% | +3.2% |
| 2011 | 7.8% | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 7.9% | +1.4% |
| 2013 | 14.4% | +83.5% |
| 2014 | 8.9% | -38.1% |
| 2015 | 9.8% | +9.1% |
| 2016 | 12.4% | +27.3% |
| 2017 | 15.7% | +26.4% |
| 2018 | 15.4% | -2.0% |
| 2019 | 15.8% | +2.8% |
| 2020 | 15.7% | -0.7% |
| 2021 | 19.4% | +23.8% |
| 2022 | 16.5% | -15.0% |
| 2023 | 17.3% | +4.7% |
| 2024 | 22.4% | +29.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 5.1% | 5.1% | 5.1% | 1 |
| 2000s | 5.9% | 4.8% | 7.5% | 8 |
| 2010s | 11.6% | 7.8% | 15.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 18.3% | 15.7% | 22.4% | 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 22.4% 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 22.4% in 2024.
- What is the lowest educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.8% in 2006.
- How does South Africa rank for educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education?
- South Africa ranks 62nd out of 101 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 150.9%. 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, urban, female (%). 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