Where does South Africa rank globally based on literacy?
In 2018, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) ranked South Africa 99th out of 159 countries based on its adult literacy rate. This rate is defined as the “percentage of the population ages 15 and older that can, with understanding, both read and write a short simple statement on everyday life”. (Note: Data for all countries is not available and comparisons should be made with caution, as there are differences in the definitions used and the way people are surveyed.)
