Brazil vs South Africa: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes
Brazil
85.6%
in 2024
South Africa
84.8%
in 2024
Brazil rank
29th
South Africa rank
30th
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes over time
- Brazil
- South Africa
How they compare
Brazil currently reports 85.6% against 84.8% in South Africa, a difference of 0.8%.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 8 shared years of data; in 2009 it was South Africa ahead.
Brazil ranks 29th and South Africa ranks 30th of 53 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, Brazil averaged higher in 1 and South Africa in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Brazil | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 77.2% | 86.7% | 9.5% | South Africa |
| 2010s | 79.4% | 87.2% | 7.8% | South Africa |
| 2020s | 85.6% | 84.8% | 0.8% | Brazil |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes, Brazil or South Africa?
- Brazil, at 85.6% against 84.8% in South Africa as of 2024.
- What is the difference in adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes between Brazil and South Africa?
- 0.8%, with Brazil ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Brazil and South Africa?
- 8 years are reported by both, from 2009 to 2024.
- How do Brazil and South Africa rank globally for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes?
- Brazil ranks 29th and South Africa ranks 30th of 53 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes (%). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
February 2026 Data Release