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

South Africa: Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, rural, male was 26.1% in 2017. ▲ Rising

Latest (2017)
26.1%
Change on year
down 54.1%
World rank
32nd
of 35 countries
All-time high
57.3%
in 2012
All-time low
26.1%
in 2017
Years of data
8
1996–2017

Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, rural, male in South Africa, 1996–2017

02040601996200620171996: 30.6 %2009: 54.7 %2010: 51.1 %2011: 51.8 %2012: 57.3 %2014: 56.9 %2015: 56.9 %2017: 26.1 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 26.1% for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, rural, male in 2017. That is the lowest value across all 8 years on record.

That represents a change of down 54.1% on the previous year and down 52.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, rural, male in South Africa peaked at 57.3% in 2012 and was at its lowest, 26.1%, in 2017.

That places South Africa 32nd out of 35 countries with data for 2017, putting it in the bottom quarter.

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

Annual values for Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, rural, male (%) in South Africa, 1996 to 2017.
Year % Change
1996 30.6%
2009 54.7% +79.1%
2010 51.1% -6.7%
2011 51.8% +1.5%
2012 57.3% +10.6%
2014 56.9% -0.6%
2015 56.9% -0.0%
2017 26.1% -54.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 30.6% 30.6% 30.6% 1
2000s 54.7% 54.7% 54.7% 1
2010s 50.0% 26.1% 57.3% 6

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 29 Morocco 34.2% compare
  2. 30 Pakistan 30.8% compare
  3. 31 Egypt 27.5% compare
  4. 33 Iran, Islamic Republic of 23.7% compare
  5. 34 Mali 20.2% compare
  6. 35 Burkina Faso 8.6% compare

See the full ranking of 35 places →

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, rural, male in South Africa?
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, rural, male in South Africa was 26.1% in 2017, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, rural, male recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 57.3% in 2012.
What is the lowest elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, rural, male recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 26.1% in 2017.
How does South Africa rank for elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, rural, male?
South Africa ranks 32nd out of 35 countries with data for 2017.
Is elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, rural, male rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 52.2%. 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, rural, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, rural, male in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 04 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/elderly-literacy-rate-population-65-years-rural-male-percent/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Elderly literacy rate, population 65+ years, rural, male (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
35 places, 325 data points, 1976–2019
Last refreshed

Percentage of males age 65 and above in rural areas 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. For more information, consult the UNESCO Institute of Statistics website: http://www.uis.unesco.org/Education/