Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in South Africa
South Africa: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes was 84.8% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in South Africa, 1996–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in South Africa is 84.8%, measured in 2024.
The figure is up 2.4% on the previous year and down 4.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in South Africa peaked at 90.8% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 71.2%, in 1996.
That places South Africa 30th out of 53 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 11 years of available data.
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 71.2% | — |
| 2009 | 86.7% | +21.9% |
| 2010 | 86.4% | -0.3% |
| 2011 | 87.0% | +0.6% |
| 2012 | 87.5% | +0.7% |
| 2014 | 88.4% | +1.0% |
| 2015 | 88.6% | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 85.0% | -4.2% |
| 2019 | 90.8% | +6.9% |
| 2021 | 82.8% | -8.8% |
| 2024 | 84.8% | +2.4% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 84.8% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 91.9%, 92% of the median. (24 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 84.8% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 50.2%, 1.7× the median. (12 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 71.2% | 71.2% | 71.2% | 1 |
| 2000s | 86.7% | 86.7% | 86.7% | 1 |
| 2010s | 87.7% | 85.0% | 90.8% | 7 |
| 2020s | 83.8% | 82.8% | 84.8% | 2 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 27 Dominican Republic 86.8% compare
- 28 Peru 86.2% compare
- 29 Brazil 85.6% compare
- 31 Honduras 82.0% compare
- 32 El Salvador 81.9% compare
- 33 Bangladesh 79.0% 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 literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in South Africa?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in South Africa was 84.8% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 90.8% in 2019.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 71.2% in 1996.
- How does South Africa rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes?
- South Africa ranks 30th out of 53 countries with data for 2024.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release