Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 8 programmes, male in South Africa

South Africa: Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 8 programmes, male was 12,852 in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
12,852
Change on year
up 2.4%
World rank
30th
of 142 countries
All-time high
12,967
in 2019
All-time low
7,888
in 2012
Years of data
12
2012–2023

Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 8 programmes, male in South Africa, 2012–2023

05.0k10.0k15.0k2012201720232012: 7.9k2013: 9.0k2014: 10.1k2015: 10.9k2016: 12.0k2017: 12.5k2018: 12.9k2019: 13.0k2020: 12.3k2021: 12.8k2022: 12.6k2023: 12.9k

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

The most recent figure for enrolment in tertiary education, isced 8 programmes, male in South Africa is 12,852, measured in 2023.

The figure is up 2.4% on the previous year and up 42.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, enrolment in tertiary education, isced 8 programmes, male in South Africa peaked at 12,967 in 2019 and was at its lowest, 7,888, in 2012.

That places South Africa 30th out of 142 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.

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

Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 8 programmes, male in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 8 programmes, male (number) in South Africa, 2012 to 2023.
Year Value Change
2012 7,888
2013 9,042 +14.6%
2014 10,077 +11.4%
2015 10,884 +8.0%
2016 11,971 +10.0%
2017 12,458 +4.1%
2018 12,934 +3.8%
2019 12,967 +0.3%
2020 12,314 -5.0%
2021 12,779 +3.8%
2022 12,551 -1.8%
2023 12,852 +2.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 11,028 7,888 12,967 8
2020s 12,624 12,314 12,852 4

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 27 Pakistan 16,058 compare
  2. 28 Philippines 15,756 compare
  3. 29 Switzerland 13,811 compare
  4. 31 Thailand 12,844 compare
  5. 32 Portugal 11,794 compare
  6. 33 Czechia 11,434 compare

See the full ranking of 358 places →

More education data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is enrolment in tertiary education, isced 8 programmes, male in South Africa?
Enrolment in tertiary education, isced 8 programmes, male in South Africa was 12,852 in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest enrolment in tertiary education, isced 8 programmes, male recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 12,967 in 2019.
What is the lowest enrolment in tertiary education, isced 8 programmes, male recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 7,888 in 2012.
How does South Africa rank for enrolment in tertiary education, isced 8 programmes, male?
South Africa ranks 30th out of 142 countries with data for 2023.
Is enrolment in tertiary education, isced 8 programmes, male rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 42.1%. 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 8 programmes, male (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 8 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-8-programmes-male-number-2/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 8 programmes, male (number)
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
358 places, 7,854 data points, 1996–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release