Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 7 programmes, both sexes in South Africa
South Africa: Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 7 programmes, both sexes was 62,467 in 2023. ▲ Rising
Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 7 programmes, both sexes in South Africa, 2012–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2023, enrolment in tertiary education, isced 7 programmes, both sexes in South Africa stood at 62,467.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 5.0% on the previous year and up 13.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, enrolment in tertiary education, isced 7 programmes, both sexes in South Africa peaked at 63,922 in 2019 and was at its lowest, 52,363, in 2012.
South Africa ranks 54th of 128 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 12 years of available data.
Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 7 programmes, both sexes in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 52,363 | — |
| 2013 | 54,931 | +4.9% |
| 2014 | 56,084 | +2.1% |
| 2015 | 60,835 | +8.5% |
| 2016 | 58,932 | -3.1% |
| 2017 | 61,525 | +4.4% |
| 2018 | 62,930 | +2.3% |
| 2019 | 63,922 | +1.6% |
| 2020 | 62,292 | -2.5% |
| 2021 | 62,564 | +0.4% |
| 2022 | 59,470 | -4.9% |
| 2023 | 62,467 | +5.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 58,940 | 52,363 | 63,922 | 8 |
| 2020s | 61,698 | 59,470 | 62,564 | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More education data for South Africa
- 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)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 7.52 million (2023)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth -1.44 % change on previous year (2023)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), per capita 0.119 units per person (2023)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 3.65 million (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is enrolment in tertiary education, isced 7 programmes, both sexes in South Africa?
- Enrolment in tertiary education, isced 7 programmes, both sexes in South Africa was 62,467 in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest enrolment in tertiary education, isced 7 programmes, both sexes recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 63,922 in 2019.
- What is the lowest enrolment in tertiary education, isced 7 programmes, both sexes recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 52,363 in 2012.
- How does South Africa rank for enrolment in tertiary education, isced 7 programmes, both sexes?
- South Africa ranks 54th out of 128 countries with data for 2023.
- Is enrolment in tertiary education, isced 7 programmes, both sexes rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 13.7%. 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 7 programmes, both sexes (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