El Salvador vs South Africa: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, both sexes

El Salvador
92.8%
in 2018
South Africa
91.6%
in 2017
El Salvador rank
27th
South Africa rank
28th

Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, both sexes over time

  • El Salvador
  • South Africa
020406080100199220052018

How they compare

El Salvador currently reports 92.8% against 91.6% in South Africa, a difference of 1.2%.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 5 shared years of data; in 2009 it was South Africa ahead.

El Salvador ranks 27th and South Africa ranks 28th of 41 countries.

South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade El Salvador South Africa Difference Ahead
2000s 89.6% 96.3% 6.7% South Africa
2010s 91.5% 95.4% 3.9% South Africa

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, both sexes, El Salvador or South Africa?
El Salvador, at 92.8% against 91.6% in South Africa as of 2018.
What is the difference in adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, both sexes between El Salvador and South Africa?
1.2%, with El Salvador ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for El Salvador and South Africa?
5 years are reported by both, from 2009 to 2017.
How do El Salvador and South Africa rank globally for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, both sexes?
El Salvador ranks 27th and South Africa ranks 28th of 41 countries.
Where does this data come from?
UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, both sexes (%). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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El Salvador vs South Africa: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, both sexes. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 18 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/compare/adult-literacy-rate-population-15-years-urban-both-sexes-percent/el-salvador/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
41 places, 376 data points, 1976–2019
Last refreshed

Total number of adults in urban areas over age 15 who cannot both read and write with understanding a short simple statement on their everyday life. For more information, consult the UNESCO Institute of Statistics website: http://www.uis.unesco.org/Education/