South Africa vs Sri Lanka: Literacy

South Africa
91.15
in 2024
Sri Lanka
92.74
in 2024
South Africa rank
45th
Sri Lanka rank
44th

Literacy over time

  • South Africa
  • Sri Lanka
020406080100198020022024

How they compare

Sri Lanka currently reports 92.74 against 91.15 in South Africa, a difference of 1.59.

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 93.63 92.18 1.45 South Africa
2020s 90.58 92.59 2.01 Sri Lanka

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher literacy, South Africa or Sri Lanka?
Sri Lanka, at 92.74 against 91.15 in South Africa as of 2024.
What is the difference in literacy between South Africa and Sri Lanka?
1.59, 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?
South Africa ranks 45th and Sri Lanka ranks 44th of 89 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Our World in Data, published as Literacy. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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South Africa vs Sri Lanka: Literacy. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 20 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/compare/literacy/south-africa/sri-lanka/

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About this data

Indicator
Literacy
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
89 places, 916 data points, 1975–2024
Last refreshed