South Africa vs Thailand: Literacy rate
South Africa
91.2%
in 2024
Thailand
91.1%
in 2022
South Africa rank
71st
Thailand rank
72nd
Literacy rate over time
- South Africa
- Thailand
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 91.2% against 91.1% in Thailand, a difference of 0.1%.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 6 shared years of data; in 1950 it was Thailand ahead.
South Africa ranks 71st and Thailand ranks 72nd of 128 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, South Africa averaged higher in 1 and Thailand in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Thailand | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 42.5% | 52.5% | 10.0% | Thailand |
| 1980s | 76.2% | 88.0% | 11.8% | Thailand |
| 2010s | 93.5% | 93.1% | 0.4% | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher literacy rate, South Africa or Thailand?
- South Africa, at 91.2% against 91.1% in Thailand as of 2024.
- What is the difference in literacy rate between South Africa and Thailand?
- 0.1%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Thailand?
- 6 years are reported by both, from 1950 to 2019.
- How do South Africa and Thailand rank globally for literacy rate?
- South Africa ranks 71st and Thailand ranks 72nd of 128 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Literacy rate. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Share of adults who can read and write a simple statement about their everyday life.