Panama vs Sub-Saharan Africa: Literacy rate, adult total
Panama
96.2%
in 2024
Sub-Saharan Africa
68.7%
in 2024
Panama rank
30th
Sub-Saharan Africa rank
32nd
Literacy rate, adult total over time
- Panama
- Sub-Saharan Africa
How they compare
Panama currently reports 96.2% against 68.7% in Sub-Saharan Africa, a difference of 27.5%.
That makes Panama's figure about 1.4 times Sub-Saharan Africa's.
Across all 8 years both countries report, Panama has been ahead every year.
Panama ranks 30th and Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 32nd of 89 countries.
Panama has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Panama | Sub-Saharan Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 88.8% | 52.3% | 36.5% | Panama |
| 2000s | 91.9% | 56.6% | 35.3% | Panama |
| 2010s | 95.1% | 64.7% | 30.4% | Panama |
| 2020s | 96.2% | 68.3% | 27.9% | Panama |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher literacy rate, adult total, Panama or Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Panama, at 96.2% against 68.7% in Sub-Saharan Africa as of 2024.
- What is the difference in literacy rate, adult total between Panama and Sub-Saharan Africa?
- 27.5%, with Panama ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Panama and Sub-Saharan Africa?
- 8 years are reported by both, from 1990 to 2024.
- How do Panama and Sub-Saharan Africa rank globally for literacy rate, adult total?
- Panama ranks 30th and Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 32nd of 89 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Adult literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15 and above who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life.