Colombia vs South Africa: Adult literacy
Adult literacy in 2024: 95.3% in Colombia and 91.2% in South Africa, by UNESCO estimates. In 2024 the value was higher in Colombia, by 4.2 percentage points, or 1.05 times that in South Africa.
ColombiaSouth Africa
Watch it change on the map% of adults · UNESCO
Latest figures
% of adults · UNESCO
| Country | Latest | 10 years before |
|---|---|---|
| Colombia | 95.3 2024 | 94.2 |
| South Africa | 91.2 2024 | 94.1 |
| World | 87.7 2024 | 85.6 |
What the numbers say
- Colombia has been higher since 2016, when it overtook South Africa.
- The world as a whole: 87.7% in 2024.
Every year
% of adults · UNESCO
| Year | Colombia | South Africa | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 95.3 | 91.2 | 87.7 |
| 2023 | 95.5 | – | 87.6 |
| 2022 | 95.3 | – | 87.4 |
| 2021 | 95.7 | 90 | 87.2 |
| 2020 | 95.6 | – | 87 |
| 2019 | 95.3 | 95 | 86.8 |
| 2018 | 95.1 | – | 86.8 |
| 2017 | 94.9 | – | 86.5 |
| 2016 | 94.7 | 91.7 | 86.3 |
| 2015 | 94.3 | 94.4 | 86 |
| 2014 | 94.2 | 94.1 | 85.6 |
| 2013 | – | – | 85.2 |
| 2012 | – | 93.7 | 84.9 |
| 2011 | 93.6 | 93.1 | 84.7 |
| 2010 | 93.4 | 92.9 | 84.4 |
| 2009 | 93.2 | 92.9 | 83.8 |
| 2008 | 93.4 | – | 83.5 |
| 2007 | 92.7 | 88.7 | 83.1 |
| 2006 | 92.3 | – | 82.5 |
| 2005 | 92.9 | – | 82.6 |
| 2004 | 92.8 | – | 82.6 |
| 2003 | – | – | 82.2 |
| 2002 | – | – | 81.7 |
| 2001 | – | – | 81.4 |
| 2000 | – | – | 81.1 |
| 1999 | – | – | 80.9 |
| 1998 | – | – | 80.5 |
| 1997 | – | – | 79.3 |
| 1996 | 91.2 | 82.4 | 77.3 |
| 1995 | – | – | 76.9 |
| 1994 | – | – | 76.4 |
| 1993 | 91.1 | – | 76 |
| 1992 | – | – | 75.5 |
| 1991 | – | – | 75.1 |
| 1990 | – | – | 74.6 |
| 1989 | – | – | 74.1 |
| 1988 | – | – | 73.6 |
| 1987 | – | – | 71.9 |
| 1986 | – | – | 71.3 |
| 1985 | – | – | 70.7 |
| 1984 | – | – | 70.2 |
| 1983 | – | – | 69.5 |
| 1982 | – | – | 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