El Salvador vs South Africa: Literacy rates of older vs. younger population
El Salvador
70.3%
in 2024
South Africa
61.9%
in 2024
El Salvador rank
45th
South Africa rank
48th
Literacy rates of older vs. younger population over time
- El Salvador
- South Africa
How they compare
El Salvador currently reports 70.3% against 61.9% in South Africa, a difference of 8.4%.
That makes El Salvador's figure about 1.1 times South Africa's.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 11 shared years of data; in 2007 it was South Africa ahead.
El Salvador ranks 45th and South Africa ranks 48th of 85 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, El Salvador averaged higher in 1 and South Africa in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | El Salvador | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 54.1% | 62.1% | 8.1% | South Africa |
| 2010s | 61.5% | 70.4% | 8.9% | South Africa |
| 2020s | 68.9% | 60.5% | 8.4% | El Salvador |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher literacy rates of older vs. younger population, El Salvador or South Africa?
- El Salvador, at 70.3% against 61.9% in South Africa as of 2024.
- What is the difference in literacy rates of older vs. younger population between El Salvador and South Africa?
- 8.4%, with El Salvador ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for El Salvador and South Africa?
- 11 years are reported by both, from 2007 to 2024.
- How do El Salvador and South Africa rank globally for literacy rates of older vs. younger population?
- El Salvador ranks 45th and South Africa ranks 48th of 85 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Literacy rates of older vs. younger population. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Share of the population aged 65 years and older who can read and write.