Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male in South Africa
South Africa: Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male was 444,590 in 2023. ▲ Rising
Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male in South Africa, 1988–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2023, enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male in South Africa stood at 444,590.
The figure is down 4.4% on the previous year and up 2.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male in South Africa peaked at 482,205 in 2018 and was at its lowest, 205,342, in 1988.
South Africa ranks 40th of 195 countries on this measure, 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, male in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 205,342 | — |
| 1989 | 227,446 | +10.8% |
| 1990 | 243,964 | +7.3% |
| 1991 | 253,900 | +4.1% |
| 1992 | 262,400 | +3.3% |
| 1993 | 297,376 | +13.3% |
| 1994 | 321,053 | +8.0% |
| 2012 | 422,204 | +31.5% |
| 2013 | 433,524 | +2.7% |
| 2014 | 426,707 | -1.6% |
| 2015 | 439,708 | +3.0% |
| 2016 | 442,453 | +0.6% |
| 2017 | 463,141 | +4.7% |
| 2018 | 482,205 | +4.1% |
| 2019 | 474,665 | -1.6% |
| 2020 | 465,207 | -2.0% |
| 2021 | 449,645 | -3.3% |
| 2022 | 464,978 | +3.4% |
| 2023 | 444,590 | -4.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 216,394 | 205,342 | 227,446 | 2 |
| 1990s | 275,739 | 243,964 | 321,053 | 5 |
| 2010s | 448,076 | 422,204 | 482,205 | 8 |
| 2020s | 456,105 | 444,590 | 465,207 | 4 |
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 enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male in South Africa?
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male in South Africa was 444,590 in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 482,205 in 2018.
- What is the lowest enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 205,342 in 1988.
- How does South Africa rank for enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male?
- South Africa ranks 40th out of 195 countries with data for 2023.
- Is enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.6%. 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, male (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