UIS: Percentage of population age 25+ with at least completed lower in South Africa

South Africa: UIS: Percentage of population age 25+ with at least completed lower was 73.6% in 2017. ▲ Rising

Latest (2017)
73.6%
Change on year
down 6.9%
World rank
47th
of 84 countries
All-time high
79.1%
in 2015
All-time low
30.1%
in 1985
Years of data
17
1970–2017

UIS: Percentage of population age 25+ with at least completed lower in South Africa, 1970–2017

0204060801970199320171970: 32.21985: 30.12001: 57.92002: 63.42003: 66.82004: 66.12005: 68.12006: 692007: 69.32008: 70.92009: 74.32010: 74.52011: 74.72012: 77.32014: 78.22015: 79.12017: 73.6

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

In 2017, uis: percentage of population age 25+ with at least completed lower in South Africa stood at 73.6%.

That represents a change of down 6.9% on the previous year and up 6.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, uis: percentage of population age 25+ with at least completed lower in South Africa peaked at 79.1% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 30.1%, in 1985.

That places South Africa 47th out of 84 countries with data for 2017, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 17 years of available data.

UIS: Percentage of population age 25+ with at least completed lower in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for UIS: Percentage of population age 25+ with at least completed lower secondary education (ISCED 2 or higher). Male in South Africa, 1970 to 2017.
Year Value Change
1970 32.2%
1985 30.1% -6.7%
2001 57.9% +92.7%
2002 63.4% +9.4%
2003 66.8% +5.5%
2004 66.1% -1.1%
2005 68.1% +3.1%
2006 69.0% +1.3%
2007 69.3% +0.4%
2008 70.9% +2.3%
2009 74.3% +4.8%
2010 74.5% +0.3%
2011 74.7% +0.2%
2012 77.3% +3.5%
2014 78.2% +1.2%
2015 79.1% +1.2%
2017 73.6% -6.9%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 32.2% 32.2% 32.2% 1
1980s 30.1% 30.1% 30.1% 1
2000s 67.3% 57.9% 74.3% 9
2010s 76.2% 73.6% 79.1% 6

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 44 Spain 80.2% compare
  2. 45 Malaysia 76.1% compare
  3. 46 Macau, China 75.5% compare
  4. 48 Andorra 73.2% compare
  5. 49 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 72.3% compare
  6. 50 Iran, Islamic Republic of 72.0% compare

See the full ranking of 84 places →

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is uis: percentage of population age 25+ with at least completed lower in South Africa?
Uis: percentage of population age 25+ with at least completed lower in South Africa was 73.6% in 2017, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest uis: percentage of population age 25+ with at least completed lower recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 79.1% in 2015.
What is the lowest uis: percentage of population age 25+ with at least completed lower recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 30.1% in 1985.
How does South Africa rank for uis: percentage of population age 25+ with at least completed lower?
South Africa ranks 47th out of 84 countries with data for 2017.
Is uis: percentage of population age 25+ with at least completed lower rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 6.2%. 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 UIS: Percentage of population age 25+ with at least completed lower secondary education (ISCED 2 or higher). Male. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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UIS: Percentage of population age 25+ with at least completed lower in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 05 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/uis-percentage-of-population-age-25-with-at-least-completed-lower-secondary-education-3/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
UIS: Percentage of population age 25+ with at least completed lower secondary education (ISCED 2 or higher). Male
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
84 places, 918 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

The percentage of male population (age 25 and over) with at least completed lower secondary education (ISCED 2 or higher). This indicator is calculated by dividing the number of males aged 25 years and above who completed lower secondary education by the total male population of the same age group and multiplying the result by 100. The UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) educational attainment dataset shows the educational composition of the population aged 25 years and above and hence the stock and quality of human capital within a country. The dataset also reflects the structure and performance of the education system and its accumulated impact on human capital formation. For more information, visit the UNESCO Institute for Statistics website: http://www.uis.unesco.org/