South Africa vs Türkiye
South Africa vs Türkiye: Adult literacy
Adult literacy: 91.2% in South Africa in 2024 and 97.3% in Türkiye in 2021, by UNESCO estimates. In 2021 the value was higher in Türkiye, by 7.3 percentage points, or 1.08 times that in South Africa.
% of adults · UNESCO
What the numbers say
- Türkiye has been higher since 2011, when it overtook South Africa.
- The world as a whole: 87.2% in 2021.
Every year
% of adults · UNESCO
| Year | South Africa | Türkiye | World |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 91.2 | – | 87.7 |
| 2023 | – | – | 87.6 |
| 2022 | – | – | 87.4 |
| 2021 | 90 | 97.3 | 87.2 |
| 2020 | – | – | 87 |
| 2019 | 95 | 96.7 | 86.8 |
| 2018 | – | – | 86.8 |
| 2017 | – | 96.2 | 86.5 |
| 2016 | 91.7 | 95.9 | 86.3 |
| 2015 | 94.4 | 95.6 | 86 |
| 2014 | 94.1 | 95.4 | 85.6 |
| 2013 | – | 95.3 | 85.2 |
| 2012 | 93.7 | 94.9 | 84.9 |
| 2011 | 93.1 | 94.1 | 84.7 |
| 2010 | 92.9 | 92.7 | 84.4 |
| 2009 | 92.9 | 90.8 | 83.8 |
| 2008 | – | – | 83.5 |
| 2007 | 88.7 | 88.7 | 83.1 |
| 2006 | – | 88.1 | 82.5 |
| 2005 | – | 88.2 | 82.6 |
| 2004 | – | 87.4 | 82.6 |
| 2003 | – | – | 82.2 |
| 2002 | – | – | 81.7 |
| 2001 | – | – | 81.4 |
| 2000 | – | – | 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 | – | 79.2 | 74.6 |
| 1989 | – | – | 74.1 |
| 1988 | – | – | 73.6 |
| 1987 | – | – | 71.9 |
| 1986 | – | – | 71.3 |
| 1985 | – | 76 | 70.7 |
| 1984 | – | – | 70.2 |
| 1983 | – | – | 69.5 |
| 1982 | – | – | 68.9 |
| 1981 | – | – | 68.4 |
| 1980 | 76.2 | 65.7 | 67.8 |
| 1979 | – | – | 67.2 |
| 1978 | – | – | 66.5 |
| 1977 | – | – | 65.9 |
| 1976 | – | – | 65.6 |
| 1975 | – | 61.6 | 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
South Africa vs Türkiye
Health
- Life expectancySouth Africa: 66.1 years in 2023Türkiye: 77.2 years in 2023
- Child mortalitySouth Africa: 3.5 per 100 live births in 2024Türkiye: 1 per 100 live births in 2024
- Infant mortalitySouth Africa: 27.9 per 1,000 live births in 2023Türkiye: 9.2 per 1,000 live births in 2023
- DepressionSouth Africa: 3.75% in 2017Türkiye: 3.72% in 2017
- Suicide rateSouth Africa: 11.2 per 100,000 people in 2017Türkiye: 3.3 per 100,000 people in 2017
People
- PopulationSouth Africa: 63.2 million people in 2023Türkiye: 87.3 million people in 2023
- Population growthSouth Africa: 1.32% a year in 2023Türkiye: 0.23% a year in 2023
- Fertility rateSouth Africa: 2.22 births per woman in 2023Türkiye: 1.63 births per woman in 2023
- Urban populationSouth Africa: 63.8% in 2025Türkiye: 89.5% in 2025
- Median ageSouth Africa: 28.2 years in 2023Türkiye: 32.5 years in 2023
- People aged 65 and overSouth Africa: 6.5% in 2023Türkiye: 10% in 2023
- Net migration rateSouth Africa: 3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023Türkiye: -3.6 per 1,000 people in 2023
Economy
Education
Politics
Conflict
Military
- Military spendingSouth Africa: 0.74% of GDP in 2025Türkiye: 1.91% of GDP in 2025
- Military spending in US dollarsSouth Africa: $3B in 2025Türkiye: $26.8B in 2025
- Military spending per personSouth Africa: $49 in 2025Türkiye: $342 in 2025
- Military share of state spendingSouth Africa: 2.2% of government spending in 2025Türkiye: 5.9% of government spending in 2025
- Armed forces personnelSouth Africa: 89,000 people in 2020Türkiye: 512,000 people in 2020
- National powerSouth Africa: 0.55% of world capability in 2022Türkiye: 1.25% of world capability in 2022
- Armed forces, share of workersSouth Africa: 0.4% of the labour force in 2020Türkiye: 1.61% of the labour force in 2020
- Arms importsSouth Africa: 30 million TIV in 2025Türkiye: 381 million TIV in 2025
- Arms exportsSouth Africa: 115 million TIV in 2025Türkiye: 539 million TIV in 2025