Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, rural, % female in South Africa
South Africa: Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, rural, % female was 56.0% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, rural, % female in South Africa, 1996–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2024, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, rural, % female in South Africa stood at 56.0%. That is the lowest value across all 10 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.4% on the previous year and down 13.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, rural, % female in South Africa peaked at 65.0% in 2014 and was at its lowest, 56.0%, in 2024.
South Africa ranks 28th of 40 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 10 years of available data.
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, rural, % female in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 59.0% | — |
| 2009 | 63.0% | +6.8% |
| 2010 | 64.0% | +1.6% |
| 2011 | 63.0% | -1.6% |
| 2012 | 64.0% | +1.6% |
| 2014 | 65.0% | +1.6% |
| 2015 | 63.0% | -3.1% |
| 2019 | 61.0% | -3.2% |
| 2021 | 58.0% | -4.9% |
| 2024 | 56.0% | -3.4% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 56.0% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 59.0%, 95% of the median. (21 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 56.0% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 62.0%, 90% of the median. (7 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 59.0% | 59.0% | 59.0% | 1 |
| 2000s | 63.0% | 63.0% | 63.0% | 1 |
| 2010s | 63.3% | 61.0% | 65.0% | 6 |
| 2020s | 57.0% | 56.0% | 58.0% | 2 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 25 Bangladesh 57.0% compare
- 25 Sri Lanka 57.0% compare
- 25 El Salvador 57.0% compare
- 28 Mali 56.0% compare
- 30 Burkina Faso 55.0% compare
- 31 Uzbekistan 50.0% compare
More education data for South Africa
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 181,739 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 339,638 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 410,708 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 407,696 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 5.50 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 7.52 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -1.44 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.119 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, rural, % female in South Africa?
- Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, rural, % female in South Africa was 56.0% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, rural, % female recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 65.0% in 2014.
- What is the lowest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, rural, % female recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 56.0% in 2024.
- How does South Africa rank for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, rural, % female?
- South Africa ranks 28th out of 40 countries with data for 2024.
- Is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, rural, % female rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, rural, % female. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 10 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release