Illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes in South Africa

South Africa: Illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes was 3.39 million number in 2017. ▼ Falling

Latest (2017)
3.39 million number
Change on year
up 161.4%
World rank
20th
of 83 countries
All-time high
3.39 million number
in 2017
All-time low
1.30 million number
in 2015
Years of data
10
1980–2017

Illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes in South Africa, 1980–2017

01.0M2.0M3.0M1980199820171980: 2.7M number1996: 3.2M number2007: 2.4M number2009: 1.6M number2010: 1.6M number2011: 1.6M number2012: 1.4M number2014: 1.3M number2015: 1.3M number2017: 3.4M number

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 3.39 million number for illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes in 2017. That is the highest value across all 10 years on record.

The figure is up 161.4% on the previous year and up 44.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes in South Africa peaked at 3.39 million number in 2017 and was at its lowest, 1.30 million number, in 2015.

That places South Africa 20th out of 83 countries with data for 2017, putting it in the top quarter.

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

Illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes (number) in South Africa, 1980 to 2017.
Year number Change
1980 2.74 million number
1996 3.23 million number +17.6%
2007 2.35 million number -27.1%
2009 1.55 million number -33.9%
2010 1.61 million number +3.3%
2011 1.56 million number -2.7%
2012 1.41 million number -10.0%
2014 1.33 million number -5.5%
2015 1.30 million number -2.4%
2017 3.39 million number +161.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 2.74 million number 2.74 million number 2.74 million number 1
1990s 3.23 million number 3.23 million number 3.23 million number 1
2000s 1.95 million number 1.55 million number 2.35 million number 2
2010s 1.77 million number 1.30 million number 3.39 million number 6

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 17 Tanzania, United Republic of 3.83 million number compare
  2. 18 Algeria 3.54 million number compare
  3. 19 Chad 3.50 million number compare
  4. 21 Senegal 2.96 million number compare
  5. 22 Thailand 2.83 million number compare
  6. 23 Madagascar 2.58 million number compare

See the full ranking of 122 places →

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes in South Africa?
Illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes in South Africa was 3.39 million number in 2017, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 3.39 million number in 2017.
What is the lowest illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 1.30 million number in 2015.
How does South Africa rank for illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes?
South Africa ranks 20th out of 83 countries with data for 2017.
Is illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is up 44.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 10 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 25 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/illiterate-population-25-64-years-both-sexes-number/south-africa/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/illiterate-population-25-64-years-both-sexes-number/south-africa/">Illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes in South Africa</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Illiterate population, 25-64 years, both sexes (number)
Unit
number
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
122 places, 2,239 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

Total number of adults from age 25 to age 64 who cannot both read and write with understanding a short simple statement on their everyday life.