Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male in South Africa

South Africa: Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male was 59.9% in 2017. ▲ Rising

Latest (2017)
59.9%
Change on year
down 23.4%
World rank
59th
of 83 countries
All-time high
78.3%
in 2015
All-time low
52.2%
in 1996
Years of data
10
1980–2017

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

0204060801980199820171980: 59 %1996: 52.2 %2007: 64.6 %2009: 74.2 %2010: 73.9 %2011: 73.8 %2012: 75.6 %2014: 77.4 %2015: 78.3 %2017: 59.9 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 59.9% for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male in 2017.

That represents a change of down 23.4% on the previous year and down 7.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male in South Africa peaked at 78.3% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 52.2%, in 1996.

South Africa ranks 59th of 83 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 literacy rate, population 65+ years, male in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male (%) in South Africa, 1980 to 2017.
Year % Change
1980 59.0%
1996 52.2% -11.4%
2007 64.6% +23.6%
2009 74.2% +15.0%
2010 73.9% -0.4%
2011 73.8% -0.1%
2012 75.6% +2.4%
2014 77.4% +2.4%
2015 78.3% +1.1%
2017 59.9% -23.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 59.0% 59.0% 59.0% 1
1990s 52.2% 52.2% 52.2% 1
2000s 69.4% 64.6% 74.2% 2
2010s 73.1% 59.9% 78.3% 6

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 56 Malawi 62.2% compare
  2. 57 India 61.7% compare
  3. 58 Guatemala 60.9% compare
  4. 60 Cameroon 59.7% compare
  5. 61 Oman 59.0% compare
  6. 62 Tanzania, United Republic of 58.9% 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 literacy rate, population 65+ years, male in South Africa?
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male in South Africa was 59.9% in 2017, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 78.3% in 2015.
What is the lowest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 52.2% in 1996.
How does South Africa rank for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male?
South Africa ranks 59th out of 83 countries with data for 2017.
Is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 7.2%. 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 literacy rate, population 65+ years, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 31 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/elderly-literacy-rate-population-65-years-male-percent/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, male (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
121 places, 2,187 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

Percentage of males age 65 and above who can, with understanding, read and write a short, simple statement on their everyday life. Generally, ‘literacy’ also encompasses ‘numeracy’, the ability to make simple arithmetic calculations. This indicator is calculated by dividing the number of male literates aged 65 years and over by the corresponding age group population and multiplying the result by 100.