China vs South Africa: Adult literacy
Adult literacy: 96.7% in China in 2020 and 91.2% in South Africa in 2024, by UNESCO estimates. In 2010 the value was higher in China, by 2.2 percentage points, or 1.02 times that in South Africa.
ChinaSouth Africa
Watch it change on the map% of adults · UNESCO
Latest figures
% of adults · UNESCO
| Country | Latest | 10 years before |
|---|---|---|
| China | 96.7 2020 | 95.1 |
| South Africa | 91.2 2024 | 94.1 |
| World | 87.7 2024 | 85.6 |
What the numbers say
- China has been higher in every year both have figures for since 2010.
- The world as a whole: 84.4% in 2010.
Every year
% of adults · UNESCO
| Year | China | South Africa | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | – | 91.2 | 87.7 |
| 2023 | – | – | 87.6 |
| 2022 | – | – | 87.4 |
| 2021 | – | 90 | 87.2 |
| 2020 | 96.7 | – | 87 |
| 2019 | – | 95 | 86.8 |
| 2018 | – | – | 86.8 |
| 2017 | – | – | 86.5 |
| 2016 | – | 91.7 | 86.3 |
| 2015 | – | 94.4 | 86 |
| 2014 | – | 94.1 | 85.6 |
| 2013 | – | – | 85.2 |
| 2012 | – | 93.7 | 84.9 |
| 2011 | – | 93.1 | 84.7 |
| 2010 | 95.1 | 92.9 | 84.4 |
| 2009 | – | 92.9 | 83.8 |
| 2008 | – | – | 83.5 |
| 2007 | – | 88.7 | 83.1 |
| 2006 | – | – | 82.5 |
| 2005 | – | – | 82.6 |
| 2004 | – | – | 82.6 |
| 2003 | – | – | 82.2 |
| 2002 | – | – | 81.7 |
| 2001 | – | – | 81.4 |
| 2000 | 90.9 | – | 81.1 |
| 1999 | – | – | 80.9 |
| 1998 | – | – | 80.5 |
| 1997 | – | – | 79.3 |
| 1996 | – | 82.4 | 77.3 |
| 1995 | – | – | 76.9 |
| 1994 | – | – | 76.4 |
| 1993 | – | – | 76 |
| 1992 | – | – | 75.5 |
| 1991 | – | – | 75.1 |
| 1990 | 77.8 | – | 74.6 |
| 1989 | – | – | 74.1 |
| 1988 | – | – | 73.6 |
| 1987 | – | – | 71.9 |
| 1986 | – | – | 71.3 |
| 1985 | – | – | 70.7 |
| 1984 | – | – | 70.2 |
| 1983 | – | – | 69.5 |
| 1982 | 65.5 | – | 68.9 |
| 1981 | – | – | 68.4 |
| 1980 | – | 76.2 | 67.8 |
| 1979 | – | – | 67.2 |
| 1978 | – | – | 66.5 |
| 1977 | – | – | 65.9 |
| 1976 | – | – | 65.6 |
| 1975 | – | – | 65.4 |
Each country on its own
Good to know
- The share of people aged 15 and over who can read and write a short, simple statement about their everyday life.
- Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics, via the World Bank.
- The faint line is the world as a whole, as the same source counts it.
How the layers work, where their data comes from and what they can’t tell you: Countries through time