Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, female (number) in South Africa
South Africa: Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, female (number) was 205,802 in 2023. ▲ Rising
Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, female in South Africa, 2012–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 205,802 for enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, female in 2023.
The figure is up 15.7% on the previous year and up 11.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, female in South Africa peaked at 214,189 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 175,385, in 2016.
That places South Africa 15th out of 146 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 12 years of available data.
Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 5 programmes, female (number) in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 188,901 | — |
| 2013 | 184,124 | -2.5% |
| 2014 | 180,178 | -2.1% |
| 2015 | 185,278 | +2.8% |
| 2016 | 175,385 | -5.3% |
| 2017 | 192,867 | +10.0% |
| 2018 | 210,011 | +8.9% |
| 2019 | 197,534 | -5.9% |
| 2020 | 214,189 | +8.4% |
| 2021 | 201,287 | -6.0% |
| 2022 | 177,852 | -11.6% |
| 2023 | 205,802 | +15.7% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 205,802 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 25,337, 8.1× the median. (43 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 205,802 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 6,924, 29.7× the median. (30 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 189,285 | 175,385 | 210,011 | 8 |
| 2020s | 199,782 | 177,852 | 214,189 | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More education data for South Africa
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 181,739 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 339,638 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 410,708 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 407,696 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 5.50 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 7.52 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -1.44 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.119 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, female in South Africa?
- Enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, female in South Africa was 205,802 in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, female recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 214,189 in 2020.
- What is the lowest enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, female recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 175,385 in 2016.
- How does South Africa rank for enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, female?
- South Africa ranks 15th out of 146 countries with data for 2023.
- Is enrolment in tertiary education, isced 5 programmes, female rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.8%. 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, ISCED 5 programmes, female (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 12 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release