South Africa vs Sri Lanka: Literacy rate, adult total
South Africa
91.2%
in 2024
Sri Lanka
92.7%
in 2024
South Africa rank
45th
Sri Lanka rank
44th
Literacy rate, adult total over time
- South Africa
- Sri Lanka
How they compare
Sri Lanka currently reports 92.7% against 91.2% in South Africa, a difference of 1.5%.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 7 shared years of data; in 2010 it was South Africa ahead.
South Africa ranks 45th and Sri Lanka ranks 44th of 89 countries.
Across the 2 decades both report, South Africa averaged higher in 1 and Sri Lanka in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Sri Lanka | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 93.6% | 92.2% | 1.4% | South Africa |
| 2020s | 90.6% | 92.6% | 2.0% | Sri Lanka |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher literacy rate, adult total, South Africa or Sri Lanka?
- Sri Lanka, at 92.7% against 91.2% in South Africa as of 2024.
- What is the difference in literacy rate, adult total between South Africa and Sri Lanka?
- 1.5%, with Sri Lanka ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Sri Lanka?
- 7 years are reported by both, from 2010 to 2024.
- How do South Africa and Sri Lanka rank globally for literacy rate, adult total?
- South Africa ranks 45th and Sri Lanka ranks 44th 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.
Individual pages
About this data
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.