School age population, tertiary education, female in South Africa

South Africa: School age population, tertiary education, female was 2.46 million number in 2018. ▲ Rising

Latest (2018)
2.46 million number
Change on year
down 0.8%
World rank
21st
of 203 countries
All-time high
2.66 million number
in 2009
All-time low
976,405 number
in 1970
Years of data
48
1970–2018

School age population, tertiary education, female in South Africa, 1970–2018

01.0M2.0M3.0M197019942018

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 2.46 million number for school age population, tertiary education, female in 2018.

That represents a change of down 0.8% on the previous year and down 7.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, school age population, tertiary education, female in South Africa peaked at 2.66 million number in 2009 and was at its lowest, 976,405 number, in 1970.

That places South Africa 21st out of 203 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 48 years of available data.

School age population, tertiary education, female in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for School age population, tertiary education, female (number) in South Africa, 1970 to 2018.
Year number Change
1970 976,405 number
1971 1.03 million number +5.4%
1972 1.08 million number +4.9%
1973 1.12 million number +4.1%
1974 1.16 million number +3.5%
1975 1.20 million number +2.9%
1976 1.23 million number +2.3%
1977 1.25 million number +2.4%
1978 1.29 million number +2.5%
1979 1.32 million number +2.6%
1980 1.36 million number +2.7%
1981 1.39 million number +2.8%
1982 1.43 million number +2.7%
1983 1.47 million number +2.5%
1984 1.50 million number +2.5%
1985 1.54 million number +2.4%
1986 1.57 million number +2.1%
1987 1.61 million number +2.3%
1988 1.65 million number +2.5%
1989 1.69 million number +2.7%
1990 1.74 million number +3.0%
1991 1.80 million number +3.3%
1992 1.86 million number +3.2%
1993 1.91 million number +2.9%
1994 1.96 million number +2.5%
1995 2.00 million number +1.9%
1996 2.04 million number +2.2%
1997 2.04 million number +0.2%
1998 2.09 million number +2.2%
1999 2.14 million number +2.6%
2000 2.20 million number +2.9%
2001 2.27 million number +3.2%
2002 2.35 million number +3.3%
2003 2.42 million number +3.0%
2004 2.48 million number +2.5%
2005 2.53 million number +2.1%
2006 2.58 million number +1.9%
2007 2.62 million number +1.5%
2008 2.65 million number +1.0%
2009 2.66 million number +0.4%
2010 2.66 million number -0.1%
2011 2.63 million number -0.9%
2012 2.60 million number -1.1%
2013 2.58 million number -1.1%
2014 2.55 million number -1.1%
2016 2.50 million number -2.0%
2017 2.48 million number -0.9%
2018 2.46 million number -0.8%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 1.17 million number 976,405 number 1.32 million number 10
1980s 1.52 million number 1.36 million number 1.69 million number 10
1990s 1.96 million number 1.74 million number 2.14 million number 10
2000s 2.48 million number 2.20 million number 2.66 million number 10
2010s 2.56 million number 2.46 million number 2.66 million number 8

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 18 Kenya 2.63 million number compare
  2. 19 Myanmar 2.48 million number compare
  3. 20 Tanzania, United Republic of 2.48 million number compare
  4. 22 Thailand 2.40 million number compare
  5. 23 Germany 2.14 million number compare
  6. 24 Colombia 2.14 million number compare

See the full ranking of 248 places →

More education data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is school age population, tertiary education, female in South Africa?
School age population, tertiary education, female in South Africa was 2.46 million number in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest school age population, tertiary education, female recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 2.66 million number in 2009.
What is the lowest school age population, tertiary education, female recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 976,405 number in 1970.
How does South Africa rank for school age population, tertiary education, female?
South Africa ranks 21st out of 203 countries with data for 2018.
Is school age population, tertiary education, female rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 7.2%. 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 School age population, tertiary education, female (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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School age population, tertiary education, female in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 30 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/school-age-population-tertiary-education-female-number/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
School age population, tertiary education, female (number)
Unit
number
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
248 places, 11,591 data points, 1970–2020
Last refreshed

Female population of the age-group theoretically corresponding to tertiary education as indicated by theoretical entrance age and duration.