Average number of completed years in formal education, aged 17 and in South Africa

South Africa: Average number of completed years in formal education, aged 17 and was 13.15 in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
13.15
Change on year
down 0.1%
World rank
20th
of 88 countries
All-time high
13.27
in 2011
All-time low
10.13
in 2003
Years of data
21
1995–2020

Average number of completed years in formal education, aged 17 and in South Africa, 1995–2020

0510151995200720201995: 10.72000: 10.62001: 10.62002: 10.92003: 10.12004: 10.72005: 10.82006: 10.82007: 10.82008: 10.62009: 10.62010: 13.22011: 13.32013: 12.72014: 12.72015: 12.72016: 12.92017: 13.22018: 13.22019: 13.22020: 13.2

Source: World Bank.

Analysis

In 2020, average number of completed years in formal education, aged 17 and in South Africa stood at 13.15.

That represents a change of down 0.1% on the previous year and down 0.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, average number of completed years in formal education, aged 17 and in South Africa peaked at 13.27 in 2011 and was at its lowest, 10.13, in 2003.

That places South Africa 20th out of 88 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 21 years of available data.

Average number of completed years in formal education, aged 17 and in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Average number of completed years in formal education, aged 17 and above, above primary education in South Africa, 1995 to 2020.
Year Value Change
1995 10.68
2000 10.56 -1.1%
2001 10.62 +0.5%
2002 10.88 +2.5%
2003 10.13 -6.9%
2004 10.73 +6.0%
2005 10.82 +0.8%
2006 10.75 -0.6%
2007 10.82 +0.6%
2008 10.62 -1.9%
2009 10.62 -0.0%
2010 13.24 +24.7%
2011 13.27 +0.2%
2013 12.67 -4.5%
2014 12.67 +0.0%
2015 12.72 +0.4%
2016 12.9 +1.4%
2017 13.17 +2.1%
2018 13.16 -0.1%
2019 13.17 +0.0%
2020 13.15 -0.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 10.68 10.68 10.68 1
2000s 10.65 10.13 10.88 10
2010s 12.99 12.67 13.27 9
2020s 13.15 13.15 13.15 1

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 17 Lithuania 13.27 compare
  2. 18 Serbia 13.18 compare
  3. 19 Bosnia and Herzegovina 13.15 compare
  4. 21 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 13.07 compare
  5. 22 Greece 13.06 compare
  6. 23 Estonia 13.05 compare

See the full ranking of 88 places →

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is average number of completed years in formal education, aged 17 and in South Africa?
Average number of completed years in formal education, aged 17 and in South Africa was 13.15 in 2020, according to the World Bank.
What is the highest average number of completed years in formal education, aged 17 and recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 13.27 in 2011.
What is the lowest average number of completed years in formal education, aged 17 and recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 10.13 in 2003.
How does South Africa rank for average number of completed years in formal education, aged 17 and?
South Africa ranks 20th out of 88 countries with data for 2020.
Is average number of completed years in formal education, aged 17 and rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 0.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from the World Bank, published as part of Average number of completed years in formal education, aged 17 and above, above primary education. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Average number of completed years in formal education, aged 17 and in South Africa. Statizoid. Retrieved 05 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/average-number-of-completed-years-in-formal-education-aged-17-and-above-above-primary/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Average number of completed years in formal education, aged 17 and above, above primary education
Source
World Bank
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
88 places, 1,164 data points, 1970–2021
Last refreshed