Lesotho vs South Africa: Literacy rate, youth total
Lesotho
96.5%
in 2024
South Africa
97.2%
in 2024
Lesotho rank
54th
South Africa rank
52nd
Literacy rate, youth total over time
- Lesotho
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 97.2% against 96.5% in Lesotho, a difference of 0.7%.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 5 shared years of data; in 2009 it was South Africa ahead.
Lesotho ranks 54th and South Africa ranks 52nd of 95 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Lesotho | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 88.3% | 98.4% | 10.0% | South Africa |
| 2010s | 95.9% | 98.0% | 2.1% | South Africa |
| 2020s | 96.5% | 97.2% | 0.7% | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher literacy rate, youth total, Lesotho or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 97.2% against 96.5% in Lesotho as of 2024.
- What is the difference in literacy rate, youth total between Lesotho and South Africa?
- 0.7%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Lesotho and South Africa?
- 5 years are reported by both, from 2009 to 2024.
- How do Lesotho and South Africa rank globally for literacy rate, youth total?
- Lesotho ranks 54th and South Africa ranks 52nd of 95 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as Literacy rate, youth total (% of people ages 15-24). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Youth literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15-24 who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life.