School age population, post-secondary non-tertiary education, both in South Africa
South Africa: School age population, post-secondary non-tertiary education, both was 2.08 million in 2025. ▬ Flat
Latest (2025)
2.08 million
Change on year
up 4.9%
World rank
18th
of 174 countries
All-time high
2.37 million
in 2006
All-time low
1.77 million
in 1997
Years of data
29
1997–2025
School age population, post-secondary non-tertiary education, both in South Africa, 1997–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2025, school age population, post-secondary non-tertiary education, both in South Africa stood at 2.08 million.
The figure is up 4.9% on the previous year and down 4.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school age population, post-secondary non-tertiary education, both in South Africa peaked at 2.37 million in 2006 and was at its lowest, 1.77 million, in 1997.
South Africa ranks 18th of 174 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
School age population, post-secondary non-tertiary education, both in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 1.77 million | — |
| 1998 | 1.83 million | +3.3% |
| 1999 | 1.87 million | +2.1% |
| 2000 | 1.88 million | +0.5% |
| 2001 | 1.94 million | +3.5% |
| 2002 | 2.05 million | +5.7% |
| 2003 | 2.19 million | +6.5% |
| 2004 | 2.28 million | +4.5% |
| 2005 | 2.34 million | +2.7% |
| 2006 | 2.37 million | +0.9% |
| 2007 | 2.36 million | -0.3% |
| 2008 | 2.34 million | -1.0% |
| 2009 | 2.30 million | -1.5% |
| 2010 | 2.25 million | -2.3% |
| 2011 | 2.22 million | -1.1% |
| 2012 | 2.21 million | -0.7% |
| 2013 | 2.20 million | -0.4% |
| 2014 | 2.17 million | -1.4% |
| 2015 | 2.16 million | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 2.20 million | +1.7% |
| 2017 | 2.06 million | -6.2% |
| 2018 | 2.04 million | -1.3% |
| 2019 | 2.04 million | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 2.04 million | -0.3% |
| 2021 | 2.01 million | -1.2% |
| 2022 | 1.97 million | -1.9% |
| 2023 | 1.95 million | -1.3% |
| 2024 | 1.98 million | +1.7% |
| 2025 | 2.08 million | +4.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.82 million | 1.77 million | 1.87 million | 3 |
| 2000s | 2.20 million | 1.88 million | 2.37 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.16 million | 2.04 million | 2.25 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.01 million | 1.95 million | 2.08 million | 6 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More education data for South Africa
- 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)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school age population, post-secondary non-tertiary education, both in South Africa?
- School age population, post-secondary non-tertiary education, both in South Africa was 2.08 million in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school age population, post-secondary non-tertiary education, both recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 2.37 million in 2006.
- What is the lowest school age population, post-secondary non-tertiary education, both recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.77 million in 1997.
- How does South Africa rank for school age population, post-secondary non-tertiary education, both?
- South Africa ranks 18th out of 174 countries with data for 2025.
- Is school age population, post-secondary non-tertiary education, both rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.0%. 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 School age population, post-secondary non-tertiary education, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 29 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release