Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 7 programmes, male in South Africa

South Africa: Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 7 programmes, male was 26,700 in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
26,700
Change on year
up 3.1%
World rank
54th
of 127 countries
All-time high
30,453
in 2015
All-time low
25,893
in 2022
Years of data
12
2012–2023

Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 7 programmes, male in South Africa, 2012–2023

010.0k20.0k30.0k2012201720232012: 27.2k2013: 28.1k2014: 28.3k2015: 30.5k2016: 28.6k2017: 29.3k2018: 29.5k2019: 29.5k2020: 27.9k2021: 27.8k2022: 25.9k2023: 26.7k

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

The most recent figure for enrolment in tertiary education, isced 7 programmes, male in South Africa is 26,700, measured in 2023.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.1% on the previous year and down 4.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, enrolment in tertiary education, isced 7 programmes, male in South Africa peaked at 30,453 in 2015 and was at its lowest, 25,893, in 2022.

That places South Africa 54th out of 127 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 12 years of available data.

Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 7 programmes, male in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 7 programmes, male (number) in South Africa, 2012 to 2023.
Year Value Change
2012 27,172
2013 28,077 +3.3%
2014 28,330 +0.9%
2015 30,453 +7.5%
2016 28,624 -6.0%
2017 29,266 +2.2%
2018 29,506 +0.8%
2019 29,465 -0.1%
2020 27,885 -5.4%
2021 27,791 -0.3%
2022 25,893 -6.8%
2023 26,700 +3.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 28,862 27,172 30,453 8
2020s 27,067 25,893 27,885 4

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 51 Denmark 28,879 compare
  2. 52 Hong Kong 28,457 compare
  3. 53 Sri Lanka 26,822 compare
  4. 55 Senegal 26,134 compare
  5. 56 Georgia 25,352 compare
  6. 57 Israel 24,296 compare

See the full ranking of 332 places →

More education data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is enrolment in tertiary education, isced 7 programmes, male in South Africa?
Enrolment in tertiary education, isced 7 programmes, male in South Africa was 26,700 in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest enrolment in tertiary education, isced 7 programmes, male recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 30,453 in 2015.
What is the lowest enrolment in tertiary education, isced 7 programmes, male recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 25,893 in 2022.
How does South Africa rank for enrolment in tertiary education, isced 7 programmes, male?
South Africa ranks 54th out of 127 countries with data for 2023.
Is enrolment in tertiary education, isced 7 programmes, male rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 4.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
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, male (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 7 programmes, male in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 31 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/enrolment-in-tertiary-education-isced-7-programmes-male-number-2/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 7 programmes, male (number)
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
332 places, 3,840 data points, 2004–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release