Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, adjusted gender in South Africa

South Africa: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, adjusted gender was 0.9946 GPIA in 2017. ▬ Flat

Latest (2017)
0.9946 GPIA
Change on year
up 0.1%
World rank
10th
of 39 countries
All-time high
0.9946 GPIA
in 2017
All-time low
0.9897 GPIA
in 2009
Years of data
8
1996–2017

Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, adjusted gender in South Africa, 1996–2017

00.20.40.60.811996200620171996: 0.993 GPIA2009: 0.99 GPIA2010: 0.992 GPIA2011: 0.992 GPIA2012: 0.992 GPIA2014: 0.993 GPIA2015: 0.994 GPIA2017: 0.995 GPIA

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in GPIA.

Analysis

The most recent figure for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, adjusted gender in South Africa is 0.9946 GPIA, measured in 2017. That is the highest value across all 8 years on record.

That represents a change of up 0.1% on the previous year and up 0.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, adjusted gender in South Africa peaked at 0.9946 GPIA in 2017 and was at its lowest, 0.9897 GPIA, in 2009.

That places South Africa 10th out of 39 countries with data for 2017, putting it in the top quarter.

Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, adjusted gender in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, adjusted gender parity index (GPIA) in South Africa, 1996 to 2017.
Year GPIA Change
1996 0.9933 GPIA
2009 0.9897 GPIA -0.4%
2010 0.9919 GPIA +0.2%
2011 0.9924 GPIA +0.0%
2012 0.992 GPIA -0.0%
2014 0.993 GPIA +0.1%
2015 0.9937 GPIA +0.1%
2017 0.9946 GPIA +0.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 0.9933 GPIA 0.9933 GPIA 0.9933 GPIA 1
2000s 0.9897 GPIA 0.9897 GPIA 0.9897 GPIA 1
2010s 0.9929 GPIA 0.9919 GPIA 0.9946 GPIA 6

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 7 Dominican Republic 0.997 GPIA compare
  2. 8 Chile 0.9965 GPIA compare
  3. 9 Brazil 0.9961 GPIA compare
  4. 11 Paraguay 0.9922 GPIA compare
  5. 12 Spain 0.9911 GPIA compare
  6. 13 Greece 0.9905 GPIA compare

See the full ranking of 39 places →

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, adjusted gender in South Africa?
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, adjusted gender in South Africa was 0.9946 GPIA in 2017, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, adjusted gender recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 0.9946 GPIA in 2017.
What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, adjusted gender recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 0.9897 GPIA in 2009.
How does South Africa rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, adjusted gender?
South Africa ranks 10th out of 39 countries with data for 2017.
Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, adjusted gender rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 0.5%. 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 Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, adjusted gender parity index (GPIA). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, adjusted gender in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 11 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/adult-literacy-rate-population-15-years-urban-adjusted-gender-parity-index-gpia/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, urban, adjusted gender parity index (GPIA)
Unit
GPIA
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
39 places, 366 data points, 1976–2019
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/