South Africa vs Sri Lanka: Literate and illiterate world population
South Africa
8.8%
in 2024
Sri Lanka
7.3%
in 2024
South Africa rank
58th
Sri Lanka rank
61st
Literate and illiterate world population over time
- South Africa
- Sri Lanka
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 8.8% against 7.3% in Sri Lanka, a difference of 1.5%.
That makes South Africa's figure about 1.2 times Sri Lanka's.
The two have swapped places 4 times across 8 shared years of data; in 1950 it was South Africa ahead.
South Africa ranks 58th and Sri Lanka ranks 61st of 128 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, South Africa averaged higher in 2 and Sri Lanka in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Sri Lanka | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 57.5% | 37.5% | 20.0% | South Africa |
| 2010s | 6.4% | 7.8% | 1.4% | Sri Lanka |
| 2020s | 9.4% | 7.4% | 2.0% | South Africa |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher literate and illiterate world population, South Africa or Sri Lanka?
- South Africa, at 8.8% against 7.3% in Sri Lanka as of 2024.
- What is the difference in literate and illiterate world population between South Africa and Sri Lanka?
- 1.5%, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Sri Lanka?
- 8 years are reported by both, from 1950 to 2024.
- How do South Africa and Sri Lanka rank globally for literate and illiterate world population?
- South Africa ranks 58th and Sri Lanka ranks 61st of 128 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Literate and illiterate world population. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Share of adults who cannot read and write a short, simple statement on their everyday life.