South Africa vs Thailand: Literate and illiterate world population
South Africa
8.8%
in 2024
Thailand
8.9%
in 2022
South Africa rank
58th
Thailand rank
57th
Literate and illiterate world population over time
- South Africa
- Thailand
How they compare
Thailand currently reports 8.9% against 8.8% in South Africa, a difference of 0.1%.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 6 shared years of data; in 1950 it was South Africa ahead.
South Africa ranks 58th and Thailand ranks 57th of 128 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, South Africa averaged higher in 2 and Thailand in 1.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Thailand | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 57.5% | 47.5% | 10.0% | South Africa |
| 1980s | 23.8% | 12.0% | 11.8% | South Africa |
| 2010s | 6.5% | 6.9% | 0.4% | Thailand |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher literate and illiterate world population, South Africa or Thailand?
- Thailand, at 8.9% against 8.8% in South Africa as of 2022.
- What is the difference in literate and illiterate world population between South Africa and Thailand?
- 0.1%, with Thailand ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Thailand?
- 6 years are reported by both, from 1950 to 2019.
- How do South Africa and Thailand rank globally for literate and illiterate world population?
- South Africa ranks 58th and Thailand ranks 57th 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.