El Salvador vs South Africa: Literacy rate vs. average years of schooling
El Salvador
89.8%
in 2023
South Africa
90.0%
in 2021
El Salvador rank
75th
South Africa rank
74th
Literacy rate vs. average years of schooling over time
- El Salvador
- South Africa
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 90.0% against 89.8% in El Salvador, a difference of 0.2%.
Across all 11 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.
El Salvador ranks 75th and South Africa ranks 74th of 128 countries.
South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | El Salvador | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 37.5% | 42.5% | 5.0% | South Africa |
| 2000s | 83.1% | 90.8% | 7.7% | South Africa |
| 2010s | 86.9% | 93.6% | 6.7% | South Africa |
| 2020s | 89.1% | 90.0% | 0.9% | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher literacy rate vs. average years of schooling, El Salvador or South Africa?
- South Africa, at 90.0% against 89.8% in El Salvador as of 2021.
- What is the difference in literacy rate vs. average years of schooling between El Salvador and South Africa?
- 0.2%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for El Salvador and South Africa?
- 11 years are reported by both, from 1950 to 2021.
- How do El Salvador and South Africa rank globally for literacy rate vs. average years of schooling?
- El Salvador ranks 75th and South Africa ranks 74th of 128 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Literacy rate vs. average years of schooling. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Share of adults who can read and write a simple statement about their everyday life.