Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female in South Africa
South Africa: Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female was 748,573 in 2023. ▲ Rising
Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female in South Africa, 1988–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2023, enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female in South Africa stood at 748,573.
The figure is down 1.4% on the previous year and up 24.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female in South Africa peaked at 759,402 in 2022 and was at its lowest, 173,389, in 1988.
That places South Africa 34th out of 195 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 19 years of available data.
Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 173,389 | — |
| 1989 | 193,706 | +11.7% |
| 1990 | 195,043 | +0.7% |
| 1991 | 213,229 | +9.3% |
| 1992 | 227,712 | +6.8% |
| 1993 | 255,572 | +12.2% |
| 1994 | 296,844 | +16.1% |
| 2012 | 583,517 | +96.6% |
| 2013 | 602,070 | +3.2% |
| 2014 | 591,836 | -1.7% |
| 2015 | 611,152 | +3.3% |
| 2016 | 611,154 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 652,876 | +6.8% |
| 2018 | 695,479 | +6.5% |
| 2019 | 697,930 | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 719,008 | +3.0% |
| 2021 | 712,765 | -0.9% |
| 2022 | 759,402 | +6.5% |
| 2023 | 748,573 | -1.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 183,548 | 173,389 | 193,706 | 2 |
| 1990s | 237,680 | 195,043 | 296,844 | 5 |
| 2010s | 630,752 | 583,517 | 697,930 | 8 |
| 2020s | 734,937 | 712,765 | 759,402 | 4 |
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 years (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female in South Africa?
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female in South Africa was 748,573 in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 759,402 in 2022.
- What is the lowest enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 173,389 in 1988.
- How does South Africa rank for enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female?
- South Africa ranks 34th out of 195 countries with data for 2023.
- Is enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 24.3%. 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 Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 19 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release