Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, female in South Africa
South Africa: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, female was 94.3% in 2024. ▬ Flat
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, female in South Africa, 1996–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, female in South Africa stood at 94.3%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.9% on the previous year and down 2.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, female in South Africa peaked at 97.1% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 90.2%, in 1996.
That places South Africa 32nd out of 59 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, female in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 90.2% | — |
| 2009 | 95.8% | +6.2% |
| 2010 | 96.0% | +0.2% |
| 2011 | 96.0% | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 96.6% | +0.6% |
| 2014 | 96.6% | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 97.0% | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 96.5% | -0.5% |
| 2019 | 97.1% | +0.6% |
| 2021 | 93.5% | -3.7% |
| 2024 | 94.3% | +0.9% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 94.3% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 95.9%, 98% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 94.3% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 72.8%, 1.3× the median. (13 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 90.2% | 90.2% | 90.2% | 1 |
| 2000s | 95.8% | 95.8% | 95.8% | 1 |
| 2010s | 96.5% | 96.0% | 97.1% | 7 |
| 2020s | 93.9% | 93.5% | 94.3% | 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, female in South Africa?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, female in South Africa was 94.3% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, female recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 97.1% in 2019.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, female recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 90.2% in 1996.
- How does South Africa rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, female?
- South Africa ranks 32nd out of 59 countries with data for 2024.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, female rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.5%. 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, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release