Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, adjusted gender in South Africa
South Africa: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, adjusted gender was 1 GPIA in 2024. ▬ Flat
Latest (2024)
1 GPIA
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
3rd
of 57 countries
All-time high
1.03 GPIA
in 2016
All-time low
0.99 GPIA
in 1996
Years of data
11
1996–2024
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, adjusted gender in South Africa, 1996–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in GPIA.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 1 GPIA for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, adjusted gender in 2024.
That represents a change of up 1.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, adjusted gender in South Africa peaked at 1.03 GPIA in 2016 and was at its lowest, 0.99 GPIA, in 1996.
That places South Africa 3rd out of 57 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, adjusted gender in South Africa, year by year
| Year | GPIA | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 0.99 GPIA | — |
| 2009 | 0.99 GPIA | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 0.99 GPIA | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 0.99 GPIA | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 0.99 GPIA | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 0.99 GPIA | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 0.99 GPIA | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 1.03 GPIA | +4.0% |
| 2019 | 1 GPIA | -2.9% |
| 2021 | 1 GPIA | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 1 GPIA | +0.0% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 1 GPIA is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1 GPIA, 1.0× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 1 GPIA is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.825 GPIA, 1.2× the median. (12 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.99 GPIA | 0.99 GPIA | 0.99 GPIA | 1 |
| 2000s | 0.99 GPIA | 0.99 GPIA | 0.99 GPIA | 1 |
| 2010s | 0.9971 GPIA | 0.99 GPIA | 1.03 GPIA | 7 |
| 2020s | 1 GPIA | 1 GPIA | 1 GPIA | 2 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 1 Thailand 1.02 GPIA compare
- 2 Honduras 1.01 GPIA compare
- 3 Argentina 1 GPIA compare
- 3 Armenia 1 GPIA compare
- 3 Azerbaijan 1 GPIA compare
- 3 Brazil 1 GPIA compare
- 3 Chile 1 GPIA compare
- 3 Colombia 1 GPIA compare
- 3 Dominican Republic 1 GPIA compare
- 3 Georgia 1 GPIA compare
- 3 Mongolia 1 GPIA compare
- 3 Panama 1 GPIA compare
- 3 Philippines 1 GPIA compare
- 3 Qatar 1 GPIA compare
- 3 Serbia 1 GPIA compare
- 3 Tonga 1 GPIA compare
- 3 Uruguay 1 GPIA compare
- 3 Uzbekistan 1 GPIA 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, urban, adjusted gender in South Africa?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, adjusted gender in South Africa was 1 GPIA in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, adjusted gender recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 1.03 GPIA in 2016.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, adjusted gender recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.99 GPIA in 1996.
- How does South Africa rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, adjusted gender?
- South Africa ranks 3rd out of 57 countries with data for 2024.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, adjusted gender rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- 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, urban, adjusted gender parity index (GPIA). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 11 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release