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

Rwanda: Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes was 1.97 million number in 2018. ▲ Rising

Latest (2018)
1.97 million number
World rank
33rd
of 87 countries
All-time high
1.98 million number
in 2010
All-time low
1.53 million number
in 2000
Years of data
6
1978–2018

Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Rwanda, 1978–2018

0500.0k1.0M1.5M2.0M1978199820181978: 1.6M number2000: 1.5M number2010: 2.0M number2012: 2.0M number2014: 1.9M number2018: 2.0M number

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.

Analysis

In 2018, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Rwanda stood at 1.97 million number.

That represents a change of down 0.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Rwanda peaked at 1.98 million number in 2010 and was at its lowest, 1.53 million number, in 2000.

Rwanda ranks 33rd of 87 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

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

Annual values for Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes (number) in Rwanda, 1978 to 2018.
Year number Change
1978 1.55 million number
2000 1.53 million number -1.6%
2010 1.98 million number +29.9%
2012 1.96 million number -1.4%
2014 1.90 million number -2.7%
2018 1.97 million number +3.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 1.55 million number 1.55 million number 1.55 million number 1
2000s 1.53 million number 1.53 million number 1.53 million number 1
2010s 1.95 million number 1.90 million number 1.98 million number 4

Countries ranked near Rwanda

  1. 30 Cameroon 3.32 million number compare
  2. 31 Türkiye 2.38 million number compare
  3. 32 Cambodia 2.07 million number compare
  4. 34 Colombia 1.87 million number compare
  5. 35 Guatemala 1.87 million number compare
  6. 36 Burundi 1.85 million number compare

See the full ranking of 126 places →

More education data for Rwanda

All data for Rwanda →

Frequently asked questions

What is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Rwanda?
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes in Rwanda was 1.97 million number in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes recorded in Rwanda?
The highest recorded value was 1.98 million number in 2010.
What is the lowest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes recorded in Rwanda?
The lowest recorded value was 1.53 million number in 2000.
How does Rwanda rank for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes?
Rwanda ranks 33rd out of 87 countries with data for 2018.
Is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, both sexes rising or falling in Rwanda?
Over the last ten years it is down 0.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Rwanda 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 Rwanda. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 04 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/adult-illiterate-population-15-years-both-sexes-number/rwanda/

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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.