Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, male in South Africa

South Africa: Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, male was 473,808 number in 2017. ▲ Rising

Latest (2017)
473,808 number
Change on year
up 96.7%
World rank
13th
of 83 countries
All-time high
473,808 number
in 2017
All-time low
205,327 number
in 1980
Years of data
10
1980–2017

Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, male in South Africa, 1980–2017

0100.0k200.0k300.0k400.0k500.0k1980199820171980: 205.3k number1996: 390.8k number2007: 337.2k number2009: 250.9k number2010: 255.8k number2011: 263.2k number2012: 251.3k number2014: 244.1k number2015: 240.9k number2017: 473.8k number

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 473,808 number for elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, male in 2017. That is the highest value across all 10 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 96.7% on the previous year and up 40.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, male in South Africa peaked at 473,808 number in 2017 and was at its lowest, 205,327 number, in 1980.

That places South Africa 13th out of 83 countries with data for 2017, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 10 years of available data.

Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, male in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, male (number) in South Africa, 1980 to 2017.
Year number Change
1980 205,327 number
1996 390,844 number +90.4%
2007 337,212 number -13.7%
2009 250,923 number -25.6%
2010 255,830 number +2.0%
2011 263,196 number +2.9%
2012 251,252 number -4.5%
2014 244,109 number -2.8%
2015 240,918 number -1.3%
2017 473,808 number +96.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 205,327 number 205,327 number 205,327 number 1
1990s 390,844 number 390,844 number 390,844 number 1
2000s 294,068 number 250,923 number 337,212 number 2
2010s 288,186 number 240,918 number 473,808 number 6

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 10 Algeria 684,509 number compare
  2. 11 Mexico 636,314 number compare
  3. 12 Morocco 571,732 number compare
  4. 14 Thailand 466,511 number compare
  5. 15 Nepal 429,157 number compare
  6. 16 Colombia 309,448 number compare

See the full ranking of 121 places →

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, male in South Africa?
Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, male in South Africa was 473,808 number in 2017, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, male recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 473,808 number in 2017.
What is the lowest elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, male recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 205,327 number in 1980.
How does South Africa rank for elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, male?
South Africa ranks 13th out of 83 countries with data for 2017.
Is elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, male rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 40.5%. 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 Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, male (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, male in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 24 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/elderly-illiterate-population-65-years-male-number/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, male (number)
Unit
number
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
121 places, 2,212 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

Total number of males over age 65 who cannot both read and write with understanding a short simple statement on their everyday life.