Youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, adjusted gender parity in South Africa
South Africa: Youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, adjusted gender parity was 1.02 GPIA in 2024. ▬ Flat
Latest (2024)
1.02 GPIA
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
7th
of 96 countries
All-time high
1.02 GPIA
in 2016
All-time low
1 GPIA
in 1980
Years of data
13
1980–2024
Youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, adjusted gender parity in South Africa, 1980–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in GPIA.
Analysis
In 2024, youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, adjusted gender parity in South Africa stood at 1.02 GPIA. That is the highest value across all 13 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, adjusted gender parity in South Africa peaked at 1.02 GPIA in 2016 and was at its lowest, 1 GPIA, in 1980.
That places South Africa 7th out of 96 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
Youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, adjusted gender parity in South Africa, year by year
| Year | GPIA | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 1 GPIA | — |
| 1996 | 1.01 GPIA | +1.0% |
| 2007 | 1.01 GPIA | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 1.01 GPIA | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 1.01 GPIA | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 1.01 GPIA | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 1.01 GPIA | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 1 GPIA | -1.0% |
| 2015 | 1.01 GPIA | +1.0% |
| 2016 | 1.02 GPIA | +1.0% |
| 2019 | 1.01 GPIA | -1.0% |
| 2021 | 1.02 GPIA | +1.0% |
| 2024 | 1.02 GPIA | +0.0% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 1.02 GPIA is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 1 GPIA, 1.0× the median. (36 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 1.02 GPIA is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 0.945 GPIA, 1.1× the median. (32 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 1 GPIA | 1 GPIA | 1 GPIA | 1 |
| 1990s | 1.01 GPIA | 1.01 GPIA | 1.01 GPIA | 1 |
| 2000s | 1.01 GPIA | 1.01 GPIA | 1.01 GPIA | 2 |
| 2010s | 1.01 GPIA | 1 GPIA | 1.02 GPIA | 7 |
| 2020s | 1.02 GPIA | 1.02 GPIA | 1.02 GPIA | 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 youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, adjusted gender parity in South Africa?
- Youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, adjusted gender parity in South Africa was 1.02 GPIA in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, adjusted gender parity recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 1.02 GPIA in 2016.
- What is the lowest youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, adjusted gender parity recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 1 GPIA in 1980.
- How does South Africa rank for youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, adjusted gender parity?
- South Africa ranks 7th out of 96 countries with data for 2024.
- Is youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, adjusted gender parity rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.0%. 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 Youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, adjusted gender parity index (GPIA). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 13 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release