Individuals with tertiary education as a share of public paid in South Africa

South Africa: Individuals with tertiary education as a share of public paid was 0.4772 in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
0.4772
Change on year
up 2.9%
World rank
46th
of 63 countries
All-time high
0.4772
in 2020
All-time low
0.3974
in 2000
Years of data
15
2000–2020

Individuals with tertiary education as a share of public paid in South Africa, 2000–2020

00.10.20.30.40.52000201020202000: 0.3972001: 0.42003: 0.4362008: 0.4512009: 0.4662010: 0.472012: 0.452013: 0.4412014: 0.4242015: 0.4142016: 0.4362017: 0.4562018: 0.452019: 0.4642020: 0.477

Source: World Bank.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 0.4772 for individuals with tertiary education as a share of public paid in 2020. That is the highest value across all 15 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.9% on the previous year and up 1.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, individuals with tertiary education as a share of public paid in South Africa peaked at 0.4772 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 0.3974, in 2000.

That places South Africa 46th out of 63 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.

Individuals with tertiary education as a share of public paid in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Individuals with tertiary education as a share of public paid employees in South Africa, 2000 to 2020.
Year Value Change
2000 0.3974
2001 0.4005 +0.8%
2003 0.4365 +9.0%
2008 0.4508 +3.3%
2009 0.4656 +3.3%
2010 0.4696 +0.9%
2012 0.4498 -4.2%
2013 0.4415 -1.9%
2014 0.4243 -3.9%
2015 0.4141 -2.4%
2016 0.4359 +5.3%
2017 0.4559 +4.6%
2018 0.4502 -1.3%
2019 0.4638 +3.0%
2020 0.4772 +2.9%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 0.4301 0.3974 0.4656 5
2010s 0.445 0.4141 0.4696 9
2020s 0.4772 0.4772 0.4772 1

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 43 Hungary 0.5035 compare
  2. 44 Namibia 0.4989 compare
  3. 45 Dominican Republic 0.4825 compare
  4. 47 Portugal 0.4694 compare
  5. 48 Honduras 0.4683 compare
  6. 49 Italy 0.4671 compare

See the full ranking of 63 places →

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is individuals with tertiary education as a share of public paid in South Africa?
Individuals with tertiary education as a share of public paid in South Africa was 0.4772 in 2020, according to the World Bank.
What is the highest individuals with tertiary education as a share of public paid recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 0.4772 in 2020.
What is the lowest individuals with tertiary education as a share of public paid recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 0.3974 in 2000.
How does South Africa rank for individuals with tertiary education as a share of public paid?
South Africa ranks 46th out of 63 countries with data for 2020.
Is individuals with tertiary education as a share of public paid rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 1.6%. 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 Individuals with tertiary education as a share of public paid employees. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Individuals with tertiary education as a share of public paid in South Africa. Statizoid. Retrieved 04 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/individuals-with-tertiary-education-as-a-share-of-public-paid-employees/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Individuals with tertiary education as a share of public paid employees
Source
World Bank
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
63 places, 784 data points, 2000–2021
Last refreshed