Colombia vs South Africa: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, male
Colombia
87.8%
in 2024
South Africa
85.7%
in 2024
Colombia rank
27th
South Africa rank
30th
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, male over time
- Colombia
- South Africa
How they compare
Colombia currently reports 87.8% against 85.7% in South Africa, a difference of 2.1%.
The two have swapped places 4 times across 9 shared years of data; in 1996 it was Colombia ahead.
Colombia ranks 27th and South Africa ranks 30th of 53 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Colombia averaged higher in 2 and South Africa in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Colombia | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 80.8% | 74.0% | 6.8% | Colombia |
| 2000s | 84.8% | 88.8% | 4.1% | South Africa |
| 2010s | 86.6% | 89.9% | 3.3% | South Africa |
| 2020s | 87.8% | 85.7% | 2.1% | Colombia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, male, Colombia or South Africa?
- Colombia, at 87.8% against 85.7% in South Africa as of 2024.
- What is the difference in adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, male between Colombia and South Africa?
- 2.1%, with Colombia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Colombia and South Africa?
- 9 years are reported by both, from 1996 to 2024.
- How do Colombia and South Africa rank globally for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, male?
- Colombia ranks 27th 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, male (%). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
February 2026 Data Release