Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, % female in South Africa

South Africa: Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, % female was 64.9% in 2017. ▲ Rising

Latest (2017)
64.9%
Change on year
down 5.4%
World rank
45th
of 82 countries
All-time high
68.6%
in 2015
All-time low
56.6%
in 1980
Years of data
10
1980–2017

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

02040601980199820171980: 56.61996: 58.12007: 66.22009: 66.92010: 67.62011: 66.92012: 67.72014: 68.52015: 68.62017: 64.9

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

In 2017, elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, % female in South Africa stood at 64.9%.

The figure is down 5.4% on the previous year and down 2.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, % female in South Africa peaked at 68.6% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 56.6%, in 1980.

South Africa ranks 45th of 82 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

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

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

Annual values for Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, % female in South Africa, 1980 to 2017.
Year Value Change
1980 56.6%
1996 58.1% +2.6%
2007 66.2% +14.0%
2009 66.9% +1.1%
2010 67.6% +1.0%
2011 66.9% -0.9%
2012 67.7% +1.2%
2014 68.5% +1.1%
2015 68.6% +0.1%
2017 64.9% -5.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 56.6% 56.6% 56.6% 1
1990s 58.1% 58.1% 58.1% 1
2000s 66.6% 66.2% 66.9% 2
2010s 67.4% 64.9% 68.6% 6

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 42 Morocco 65.7% compare
  2. 43 El Salvador 65.2% compare
  3. 44 Nepal 65.1% compare
  4. 46 Guatemala 64.8% compare
  5. 47 Burkina Faso 64.8% compare
  6. 48 Togo 64.7% compare

See the full ranking of 120 places →

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, % female in South Africa?
Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, % female in South Africa was 64.9% in 2017, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, % female recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 68.6% in 2015.
What is the lowest elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, % female recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 56.6% in 1980.
How does South Africa rank for elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, % female?
South Africa ranks 45th out of 82 countries with data for 2017.
Is elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, % female rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 2.0%. 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, % female. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, % female in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 25 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/elderly-illiterate-population-65-years-percent-female/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Elderly illiterate population, 65+ years, % female
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
120 places, 2,196 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

Share of the elderly illiterate population that is female.