School enrollment, tertiary in South Africa
South Africa: School enrollment, tertiary was 23.5% in 2023. ▲ Rising
School enrollment, tertiary in South Africa, 1970–2023
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % gross.
Analysis
The most recent figure for school enrollment, tertiary in South Africa is 23.5%, measured in 2023.
The figure is down 1.0% on the previous year and up 26.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school enrollment, tertiary in South Africa peaked at 23.7% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 4.0%, in 1970.
That places South Africa 125th out of 192 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 21 years of available data.
School enrollment, tertiary in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % gross | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 4.0% | — |
| 1973 | 4.4% | +10.1% |
| 1988 | 10.5% | +139.6% |
| 1989 | 11.3% | +7.7% |
| 1990 | 11.4% | +1.0% |
| 1991 | 11.8% | +3.6% |
| 1992 | 12.3% | +4.1% |
| 1993 | 13.6% | +10.5% |
| 1994 | 15.7% | +15.3% |
| 2012 | 17.9% | +14.3% |
| 2013 | 18.6% | +3.7% |
| 2014 | 18.5% | -0.7% |
| 2015 | 19.0% | +3.0% |
| 2016 | 18.9% | -0.5% |
| 2017 | 21.1% | +11.4% |
| 2018 | 22.4% | +6.0% |
| 2019 | 22.2% | -0.5% |
| 2020 | 22.6% | +1.7% |
| 2021 | 22.3% | -1.2% |
| 2022 | 23.7% | +6.2% |
| 2023 | 23.5% | -1.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 4.2% | 4.0% | 4.4% | 2 |
| 1980s | 10.9% | 10.5% | 11.3% | 2 |
| 1990s | 13.0% | 11.4% | 15.7% | 5 |
| 2010s | 19.8% | 17.9% | 22.4% | 8 |
| 2020s | 23.0% | 22.3% | 23.7% | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 122 Cape Verde 24.3% compare
- 123 Trinidad and Tobago 23.8% compare
- 124 Bangladesh 23.7% compare
- 126 Honduras 23.3% compare
- 127 Luxembourg 22.4% compare
- 128 Cambodia 21.4% compare
More education data for South Africa
- Start of the academic school year (tertiary education), gaps filled 2,023 tertiary education (2023)
- Start of the academic school year (tertiary education), annual growth 0.0495 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 287,310 (2023)
- Duration of pre primary education, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Duration of pre primary education 4 (2025)
- Official entrance age to pre primary education 3 (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 67.4% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 25.7% (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age 14 years (2025)
- Primary school starting age 7 years (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school enrollment, tertiary in South Africa?
- School enrollment, tertiary in South Africa was 23.5% in 2023, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest school enrollment, tertiary recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 23.7% in 2022.
- What is the lowest school enrollment, tertiary recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.0% in 1970.
- How does South Africa rank for school enrollment, tertiary?
- South Africa ranks 125th out of 192 countries with data for 2023.
- Is school enrollment, tertiary rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 26.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of School enrollment, tertiary (% gross). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Gross enrollment ratio is the ratio of total enrollment, regardless of age, to the population of the age group that officially corresponds to the level of education shown. Tertiary education, whether or not to an advanced research qualification, normally requires, as a minimum condition of admission, the successful completion of education at the secondary level.