Brazil vs South Africa: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, rural, both sexes

Brazil
87.0%
in 2024
South Africa
86.5%
in 2024
Brazil rank
28th
South Africa rank
29th

Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, rural, both sexes over time

  • Brazil
  • South Africa
020406080100198020022024

How they compare

Brazil currently reports 87.0% against 86.5% in South Africa, a difference of 0.5%.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 10 shared years of data; in 2009 it was South Africa ahead.

Brazil ranks 28th and South Africa ranks 29th 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 76.1% 85.6% 9.5% South Africa
2010s 79.7% 88.0% 8.3% South Africa
2020s 87.3% 85.4% 1.9% Brazil

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher literacy rate, population 25-64 years, rural, both sexes, Brazil or South Africa?
Brazil, at 87.0% against 86.5% in South Africa as of 2024.
What is the difference in literacy rate, population 25-64 years, rural, both sexes between Brazil and South Africa?
0.5%, with Brazil ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Brazil and South Africa?
10 years are reported by both, from 2009 to 2024.
How do Brazil and South Africa rank globally for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, rural, both sexes?
Brazil ranks 28th and South Africa ranks 29th of 53 countries.
Where does this data come from?
UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, rural, both sexes (%). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Brazil vs South Africa: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, rural, both sexes. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 17 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/compare/literacy-rate-population-25-64-years-rural-both-sexes-percent-2/brazil/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, rural, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
53 places, 617 data points, 1976–2024
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release