Youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, urban, both sexes in South Africa

South Africa: Youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, urban, both sexes was 96.7% in 2017. ▬ Flat

Latest (2017)
96.7%
Change on year
down 2.7%
World rank
32nd
of 41 countries
All-time high
99.4%
in 2012
All-time low
96.7%
in 2017
Years of data
8
1996–2017

Youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, urban, both sexes in South Africa, 1996–2017

0204060801001996200620171996: 96.7 %2009: 98.9 %2010: 99.1 %2011: 99 %2012: 99.4 %2014: 99.2 %2015: 99.4 %2017: 96.7 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

South Africa recorded 96.7% for youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, urban, both sexes in 2017. That is the lowest value across all 8 years on record.

That represents a change of down 2.7% on the previous year and down 2.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, urban, both sexes in South Africa peaked at 99.4% in 2012 and was at its lowest, 96.7%, in 2017.

South Africa ranks 32nd of 41 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

Youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, urban, both sexes in South Africa, year by year

Annual values for Youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, urban, both sexes (%) in South Africa, 1996 to 2017.
Year % Change
1996 96.7%
2009 98.9% +2.3%
2010 99.1% +0.2%
2011 99.0% -0.1%
2012 99.4% +0.3%
2014 99.2% -0.1%
2015 99.4% +0.1%
2017 96.7% -2.7%

South Africa compared with similar countries

  • South Africa's 96.7% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 99.3%, 97% of the median. (19 countries reporting)
  • South Africa's 96.7% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 83.6%, 1.2× the median. (6 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 96.7% 96.7% 96.7% 1
2000s 98.9% 98.9% 98.9% 1
2010s 98.8% 96.7% 99.4% 6

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 29 Malaysia 97.1% compare
  2. 30 Morocco 97.0% compare
  3. 31 Guatemala 96.8% compare
  4. 33 Bangladesh 95.4% compare
  5. 34 Qatar 94.6% compare
  6. 35 Egypt 92.5% compare

See the full ranking of 41 places →

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, urban, both sexes in South Africa?
Youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, urban, both sexes in South Africa was 96.7% in 2017, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, urban, both sexes recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 99.4% in 2012.
What is the lowest youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, urban, both sexes recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 96.7% in 2017.
How does South Africa rank for youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, urban, both sexes?
South Africa ranks 32nd out of 41 countries with data for 2017.
Is youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, urban, both sexes rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 2.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this South Africa data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, urban, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, urban, both sexes in South Africa. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 13 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/youth-literacy-rate-population-15-24-years-urban-both-sexes-percent/south-africa/

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About this data

Indicator
Youth literacy rate, population 15-24 years, urban, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
41 places, 376 data points, 1976–2019
Last refreshed

Number of people age 15 to 24 years in urban areas who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement on their everyday life, divided by the population in that age group. Generally, ‘literacy’ also encompasses ‘numeracy’, the ability to make simple arithmetic calculations. Divide the number of people aged 15 to 24 years who are literate by the total population in the same age group and multiply the result by 100. For more information, consult the UNESCO Institute of Statistics website: http://www.uis.unesco.org/Education/