Arab World vs South Africa: Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female

Arab World
47.09 million number
in 2019
South Africa
2.80 million number
in 2017
Arab World rank
22nd
South Africa rank
21st

Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female over time

  • Arab World
  • South Africa
010.0M20.0M30.0M40.0M50.0M197719982019

How they compare

Arab World currently reports 47.09 million number against 2.80 million number in South Africa, a difference of 44.29 million number.

That makes Arab World's figure about 16.8 times South Africa's.

Across all 10 years both countries report, Arab World has been ahead every year.

Arab World ranks 22nd and South Africa ranks 21st of 39 groups.

Arab World has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Arab World South Africa Difference Ahead
1980s 31.11 million number 2.15 million number 28.96 million number Arab World
1990s 39.61 million number 2.62 million number 37.00 million number Arab World
2000s 43.85 million number 1.88 million number 41.97 million number Arab World
2010s 42.38 million number 1.65 million number 40.72 million number Arab World

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female, Arab World or South Africa?
Arab World, at 47.09 million number against 2.80 million number in South Africa as of 2019.
What is the difference in adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female between Arab World and South Africa?
44.29 million number, with Arab World ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Arab World and South Africa?
10 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2017.
How do Arab World and South Africa rank globally for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female?
Arab World ranks 22nd and South Africa ranks 21st of 39 groups.
Where does this data come from?
UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female (number). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Arab World vs South Africa: Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 14 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/compare/adult-illiterate-population-15-years-female-number/arab-world/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female (number)
Unit
number
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
126 places, 2,268 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

Total number of females over age 15 who cannot both read and write with understanding a short simple statement on their everyday life.