Percentage of graduates from programmes other than Science in South Africa
South Africa: Percentage of graduates from programmes other than Science was 82.6% in 2023. ▬ Flat
Percentage of graduates from programmes other than Science in South Africa, 2014–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, percentage of graduates from programmes other than science in South Africa stood at 82.6%. That is the highest value across all 10 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.4% on the previous year and up 2.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, percentage of graduates from programmes other than science in South Africa peaked at 82.6% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 80.4%, in 2014.
South Africa ranks 25th of 124 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Percentage of graduates from programmes other than Science in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 80.4% | — |
| 2015 | 80.4% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 81.5% | +1.4% |
| 2017 | 81.3% | -0.3% |
| 2018 | 81.6% | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 81.5% | -0.1% |
| 2020 | 82.6% | +1.3% |
| 2021 | 81.3% | -1.6% |
| 2022 | 82.3% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | 82.6% | +0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 81.1% | 80.4% | 81.6% | 6 |
| 2020s | 82.2% | 81.3% | 82.6% | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More education data for South Africa
- 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)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 444,590 (2023)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number) -4.38 % change on previous year (2023)
- Theoretical duration of primary education (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Theoretical duration of pre-primary education (years), annual growth 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Start of the academic school year (pre-primary to post-secondary non) 0.0494 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is percentage of graduates from programmes other than science in South Africa?
- Percentage of graduates from programmes other than science in South Africa was 82.6% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest percentage of graduates from programmes other than science recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 82.6% in 2023.
- What is the lowest percentage of graduates from programmes other than science recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 80.4% in 2014.
- How does South Africa rank for percentage of graduates from programmes other than science?
- South Africa ranks 25th out of 124 countries with data for 2023.
- Is percentage of graduates from programmes other than science rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Percentage of graduates from programmes other than Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics in tertiary education, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 10 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release