Ecuador vs South Africa: Literacy rate, adult total

Ecuador
93.5%
in 2024
South Africa
91.2%
in 2024
Ecuador rank
43rd
South Africa rank
45th

Literacy rate, adult total over time

  • Ecuador
  • South Africa
020406080100198020022024

How they compare

Ecuador currently reports 93.5% against 91.2% in South Africa, a difference of 2.3%.

The two have swapped places 2 times across 10 shared years of data; in 2007 it was Ecuador ahead.

Ecuador ranks 43rd and South Africa ranks 45th of 89 countries.

Across the 3 decades both report, Ecuador averaged higher in 2 and South Africa in 1.

Head to head by decade

Decade Ecuador South Africa Difference Ahead
2000s 92.2% 90.8% 1.4% Ecuador
2010s 93.1% 93.3% 0.2% South Africa
2020s 94.0% 90.6% 3.4% Ecuador

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher literacy rate, adult total, Ecuador or South Africa?
Ecuador, at 93.5% against 91.2% in South Africa as of 2024.
What is the difference in literacy rate, adult total between Ecuador and South Africa?
2.3%, with Ecuador ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Ecuador and South Africa?
10 years are reported by both, from 2007 to 2024.
How do Ecuador and South Africa rank globally for literacy rate, adult total?
Ecuador ranks 43rd and South Africa ranks 45th of 89 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Ecuador vs South Africa: Literacy rate, adult total. Statizoid, drawing on Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 18 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/compare/literacy-rate-adult-total-percent-of-people-ages-15-and-above/ecuador/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above)
Unit
% of people ages 15 and above
Source
Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
128 places, 2,592 data points, 1973–2024
Last refreshed

Adult literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15 and above who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life.