Population by level of education in South Africa
South Africa: Population by level of education was 14.48 million people in 2100. ◆ Volatile
Population by level of education in South Africa, 1950–2100
Source: Wittgenstein Centre (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 14.48 million people for population by level of education in 2100. That is the highest value across all 31 years on record.
That represents a change of up 10.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population by level of education in South Africa peaked at 14.48 million people in 2100 and was at its lowest, 95,100 people, in 1950.
That places South Africa 47th out of 200 countries with data for 2100, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 114,600 people | 95,100 people | 134,100 people | 2 |
| 1960s | 221,050 people | 183,900 people | 258,200 people | 2 |
| 1970s | 429,350 people | 359,500 people | 499,200 people | 2 |
| 1980s | 773,450 people | 684,600 people | 862,300 people | 2 |
| 1990s | 1.31 million people | 1.16 million people | 1.45 million people | 2 |
| 2000s | 1.84 million people | 1.71 million people | 1.96 million people | 2 |
| 2010s | 2.49 million people | 2.33 million people | 2.65 million people | 2 |
| 2020s | 3.27 million people | 3.05 million people | 3.49 million people | 2 |
| 2030s | 4.34 million people | 4.02 million people | 4.67 million people | 2 |
| 2040s | 5.81 million people | 5.41 million people | 6.20 million people | 2 |
| 2050s | 7.41 million people | 7.01 million people | 7.81 million people | 2 |
| 2060s | 9.03 million people | 8.63 million people | 9.44 million people | 2 |
| 2070s | 10.62 million people | 10.24 million people | 11.01 million people | 2 |
| 2080s | 12.11 million people | 11.75 million people | 12.47 million people | 2 |
| 2090s | 13.51 million people | 13.17 million people | 13.84 million people | 2 |
| 2100s | 14.48 million people | 14.48 million people | 14.48 million people | 1 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More education data for South Africa
- Primary school starting age 7 years (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age 14 years (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 67.4% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 25.7% (2025)
- School enrollment, primary 101.8% (2023)
- Primary education, teachers 287,310 (2023)
- School enrollment, primary, female 99.2% (2023)
- School enrollment, primary, male 104.3% (2023)
- Labor force, total 26.73 million (2025)
- Labor force, female 46.6% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population by level of education in South Africa?
- Population by level of education in South Africa was 14.48 million people in 2100, according to Wittgenstein Centre (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest population by level of education recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 14.48 million people in 2100.
- What is the lowest population by level of education recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 95,100 people in 1950.
- How does South Africa rank for population by level of education?
- South Africa ranks 47th out of 200 countries with data for 2100.
- Is population by level of education rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Wittgenstein Centre (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Population by level of education. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 31 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
De facto population withpost_secondary education in a country or region.