Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, both sexes in South Africa
South Africa: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, both sexes was 94.2% in 2024. ▬ Flat
Latest (2024)
94.2%
Change on year
up 0.6%
World rank
33rd
of 57 countries
All-time high
97.3%
in 2015
All-time low
90.5%
in 1996
Years of data
11
1996–2024
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, both sexes in South Africa, 1996–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, both sexes in South Africa stood at 94.2%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.6% on the previous year and down 2.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, both sexes in South Africa peaked at 97.3% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 90.5%, in 1996.
South Africa ranks 33rd of 57 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, both sexes in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 90.5% | — |
| 2009 | 96.3% | +6.4% |
| 2010 | 96.4% | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 96.4% | -0.0% |
| 2012 | 97.0% | +0.6% |
| 2014 | 97.0% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 97.3% | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 95.1% | -2.2% |
| 2019 | 97.1% | +2.1% |
| 2021 | 93.6% | -3.6% |
| 2024 | 94.2% | +0.6% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 94.2% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 96.5%, 98% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 94.2% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 81.1%, 1.2× the median. (12 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 90.5% | 90.5% | 90.5% | 1 |
| 2000s | 96.3% | 96.3% | 96.3% | 1 |
| 2010s | 96.6% | 95.1% | 97.3% | 7 |
| 2020s | 93.9% | 93.6% | 94.2% | 2 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
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, both sexes in South Africa?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, both sexes in South Africa was 94.2% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, both sexes recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 97.3% in 2015.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, both sexes recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 90.5% in 1996.
- How does South Africa rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, both sexes?
- South Africa ranks 33rd out of 57 countries with data for 2024.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, both sexes rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.9%. 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, both sexes (%). 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