Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa
UIS: Sub-saharan Africa: Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female was 135.51 million in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
135.51 million
Change on year
up 2.1%
Rank
47th
of 203 groups
All-time high
135.51 million
in 2024
All-time low
79.90 million
in 1990
Years of data
36
1989–2024
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa, 1989–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
The most recent figure for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa is 135.51 million, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.
That represents a change of up 2.1% on the previous year and up 14.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa peaked at 135.51 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 79.90 million, in 1990.
That places UIS: Sub-saharan Africa 47th out of 203 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 80.96 million | — |
| 1990 | 79.90 million | -1.3% |
| 1991 | 81.62 million | +2.2% |
| 1992 | 83.00 million | +1.7% |
| 1993 | 84.21 million | +1.5% |
| 1994 | 85.27 million | +1.2% |
| 1995 | 87.24 million | +2.3% |
| 1996 | 88.32 million | +1.2% |
| 1997 | 88.83 million | +0.6% |
| 1998 | 89.98 million | +1.3% |
| 1999 | 91.00 million | +1.1% |
| 2000 | 96.45 million | +6.0% |
| 2001 | 97.41 million | +1.0% |
| 2002 | 99.77 million | +2.4% |
| 2003 | 101.12 million | +1.4% |
| 2004 | 102.70 million | +1.6% |
| 2005 | 106.12 million | +3.3% |
| 2006 | 109.87 million | +3.5% |
| 2007 | 112.57 million | +2.5% |
| 2008 | 114.84 million | +2.0% |
| 2009 | 116.97 million | +1.9% |
| 2010 | 118.07 million | +0.9% |
| 2011 | 116.47 million | -1.4% |
| 2012 | 116.60 million | +0.1% |
| 2013 | 117.86 million | +1.1% |
| 2014 | 118.75 million | +0.8% |
| 2015 | 120.02 million | +1.1% |
| 2016 | 121.17 million | +1.0% |
| 2017 | 123.20 million | +1.7% |
| 2018 | 120.30 million | -2.4% |
| 2019 | 121.33 million | +0.9% |
| 2020 | 124.22 million | +2.4% |
| 2021 | 127.93 million | +3.0% |
| 2022 | 130.22 million | +1.8% |
| 2023 | 132.71 million | +1.9% |
| 2024 | 135.51 million | +2.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 80.96 million | 80.96 million | 80.96 million | 1 |
| 1990s | 85.94 million | 79.90 million | 91.00 million | 10 |
| 2000s | 105.78 million | 96.45 million | 116.97 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 119.38 million | 116.47 million | 123.20 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 130.12 million | 124.22 million | 135.51 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near UIS: Sub-saharan Africa
More education data for UIS: Sub-saharan Africa
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 9.73 million (2021)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 0.7518 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 37.39 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.61 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 40.73 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.23 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 25.04 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 1.63 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number) 3.6 % change on previous year (2021)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 4.53 % change on previous year (2021)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa?
- Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa was 135.51 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female recorded in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 135.51 million in 2024.
- What is the lowest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female recorded in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 79.90 million in 1990.
- How does UIS: Sub-saharan Africa rank for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female?
- UIS: Sub-saharan Africa ranks 47th out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female rising or falling in UIS: Sub-saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this UIS: Sub-saharan Africa data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, female (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release