Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, male in South Africa

South Africa: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, male was 78.5% in 2017. ▲ Rising

Latest (2017)
78.5%
Change on year
down 13.6%
World rank
27th
of 36 countries
All-time high
90.9%
in 2014
All-time low
74.0%
in 1996
Years of data
8
1996–2017

Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, male in South Africa, 1996–2017

0204060801001996200620171996: 74 %2009: 88.9 %2010: 89 %2011: 89.3 %2012: 90.1 %2014: 90.9 %2015: 90.9 %2017: 78.5 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2017, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, male in South Africa stood at 78.5%.

The figure is down 13.6% on the previous year and down 11.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, male in South Africa peaked at 90.9% in 2014 and was at its lowest, 74.0%, in 1996.

That places South Africa 27th out of 36 countries with data for 2017, putting it in the middle of the range.

Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, male in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, male (%) in South Africa, 1996 to 2017.
Year % Change
1996 74.0%
2009 88.9% +20.1%
2010 89.0% +0.2%
2011 89.3% +0.3%
2012 90.1% +0.9%
2014 90.9% +0.9%
2015 90.9% -0.1%
2017 78.5% -13.6%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 74.0% 74.0% 74.0% 1
2000s 88.9% 88.9% 88.9% 1
2010s 88.1% 78.5% 90.9% 6

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 24 Brazil 81.0% compare
  2. 25 Honduras 79.4% compare
  3. 26 Guatemala 79.1% compare
  4. 28 Uganda 75.8% compare
  5. 29 Bangladesh 71.4% compare
  6. 30 Egypt 71.2% compare

See the full ranking of 36 places →

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, male in South Africa?
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, male in South Africa was 78.5% in 2017, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, male recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 90.9% in 2014.
What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, male recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 74.0% in 1996.
How does South Africa rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, male?
South Africa ranks 27th out of 36 countries with data for 2017.
Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, male rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 11.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
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, rural, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, male in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 10 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/adult-literacy-rate-population-15-years-rural-male-percent/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, male (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
36 places, 331 data points, 1976–2019
Last refreshed

Total number of males in rural 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/