South Africa vs Sub-Saharan Africa: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity

South Africa
0.9861 GPIA
in 2017
Sub-Saharan Africa
0.8152 GPIA
in 2019
South Africa rank
30th
Sub-Saharan Africa rank
28th

Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity over time

  • South Africa
  • Sub-Saharan Africa
00.20.40.60.81198019992019

How they compare

South Africa currently reports 0.9861 GPIA against 0.8152 GPIA in Sub-Saharan Africa, a difference of 0.1709 GPIA.

That makes South Africa's figure about 1.2 times Sub-Saharan Africa's.

Across all 9 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.

South Africa ranks 30th and Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 28th of 87 countries.

South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade South Africa Sub-Saharan Africa Difference Ahead
1990s 0.9626 GPIA 0.7017 GPIA 0.2609 GPIA South Africa
2000s 0.9672 GPIA 0.7336 GPIA 0.2336 GPIA South Africa
2010s 0.978 GPIA 0.774 GPIA 0.2039 GPIA South Africa

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity, South Africa or Sub-Saharan Africa?
South Africa, at 0.9861 GPIA against 0.8152 GPIA in Sub-Saharan Africa as of 2017.
What is the difference in adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity between South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa?
0.1709 GPIA, with South Africa ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa?
9 years are reported by both, from 1996 to 2017.
How do South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa rank globally for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity?
South Africa ranks 30th and Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 28th of 87 countries.
Where does this data come from?
UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity index (GPIA). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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South Africa vs Sub-Saharan Africa: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 15 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/compare/adult-literacy-rate-population-15-years-adjusted-gender-parity-index-gpia/south-africa/sub-saharan-africa/

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<a href="https://reference.statizoid.com/compare/adult-literacy-rate-population-15-years-adjusted-gender-parity-index-gpia/south-africa/sub-saharan-africa/">South Africa vs Sub-Saharan Africa: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity index (GPIA)
Unit
GPIA
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
124 places, 2,183 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

The Adjusted Gender Parity Index (GPIA) is calculated by dividing the female value for the indicator by the male value for the indicator. If the resulting value exceeds 1, the ratio is inverted and subtracted from 2. The adjusted gender parity index is symmetrical around 1 and lies in the range 0-2. An adjusted GPI equal to 1 indicates parity between females and males. In general, a value less than 1 indicates disparity in favor of males and a value greater than 1 indicates disparity in favor of females. For more information, consult the UNESCO Institute for Statistics: http://uis.unesco.org/