Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Benin

Benin: Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes was 3.81 million number in 2018. ▲ Rising

Latest (2018)
3.81 million number
World rank
25th
of 87 countries
All-time high
3.81 million number
in 2018
All-time low
1.67 million number
in 1979
Years of data
6
1979–2018

Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Benin, 1979–2018

01.0M2.0M3.0M4.0M1979199820181979: 1.7M number1992: 2.1M number2002: 2.6M number2006: 3.2M number2012: 3.7M number2018: 3.8M number

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.

Analysis

Benin recorded 3.81 million number for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in 2018. That is the highest value across all 6 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 17.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Benin peaked at 3.81 million number in 2018 and was at its lowest, 1.67 million number, in 1979.

Benin ranks 25th of 87 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Benin, year by year

Annual values for Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes (number) in Benin, 1979 to 2018.
Year number Change
1979 1.67 million number
1992 2.09 million number +25.5%
2002 2.60 million number +24.3%
2006 3.23 million number +24.3%
2012 3.66 million number +13.2%
2018 3.81 million number +4.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 1.67 million number 1.67 million number 1.67 million number 1
1990s 2.09 million number 2.09 million number 2.09 million number 1
2000s 2.92 million number 2.60 million number 3.23 million number 2
2010s 3.74 million number 3.66 million number 3.81 million number 2

Countries ranked near Benin

  1. 22 Mexico 4.27 million number compare
  2. 23 Senegal 4.24 million number compare
  3. 24 Madagascar 3.93 million number compare
  4. 26 Viet Nam 3.67 million number compare
  5. 27 Thailand 3.59 million number compare
  6. 28 Malawi 3.47 million number compare

See the full ranking of 126 places →

More education data for Benin

All data for Benin →

Frequently asked questions

What is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Benin?
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Benin was 3.81 million number in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes recorded in Benin?
The highest recorded value was 3.81 million number in 2018.
What is the lowest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes recorded in Benin?
The lowest recorded value was 1.67 million number in 1979.
How does Benin rank for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes?
Benin ranks 25th out of 87 countries with data for 2018.
Is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes rising or falling in Benin?
Over the last ten years it is up 17.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Benin data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Benin. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 05 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/adult-illiterate-population-15-years-both-sexes-number/benin/

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About this data

Indicator
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes (number)
Unit
number
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
126 places, 2,267 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

Total number of adults over age 15 who cannot both read and write with understanding a short simple statement on their everyday life.