Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) vs South Africa: Illiterate population, 25-64 years, female

Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)
28.21 million number
in 2019
South Africa
1.74 million number
in 2017
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) rank
23rd
South Africa rank
22nd

Illiterate population, 25-64 years, female over time

  • Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)
  • South Africa
010.0M20.0M30.0M197219952019

How they compare

Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) currently reports 28.21 million number against 1.74 million number in South Africa, a difference of 26.47 million number.

That makes Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)'s figure about 16.2 times South Africa's.

Across all 10 years both countries report, Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) has been ahead every year.

Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) ranks 23rd and South Africa ranks 22nd of 39 groups.

Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) South Africa Difference Ahead
1980s 21.58 million number 1.46 million number 20.12 million number Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)
1990s 25.92 million number 1.80 million number 24.12 million number Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)
2000s 26.55 million number 1.11 million number 25.44 million number Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)
2010s 27.31 million number 961,334 number 26.35 million number Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income)

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher illiterate population, 25-64 years, female, Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) or South Africa?
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income), at 28.21 million number against 1.74 million number in South Africa as of 2019.
What is the difference in illiterate population, 25-64 years, female between Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) and South Africa?
26.47 million number, with Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) and South Africa?
10 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2017.
How do Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) and South Africa rank globally for illiterate population, 25-64 years, female?
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) ranks 23rd and South Africa ranks 22nd of 39 groups.
Where does this data come from?
UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Illiterate population, 25-64 years, female (number). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan (excluding high income) vs South Africa: Illiterate population, 25-64 years, female. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 17 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/compare/illiterate-population-25-64-years-female-number/middle-east-north-africa-afghanistan-and-pakistan-excluding-high-income/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Illiterate population, 25-64 years, female (number)
Unit
number
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
122 places, 2,240 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

Total number of females from age 25 to age 64 who cannot both read and write with understanding a short simple statement on their everyday life.