Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, urban, both sexes in Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso: Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, urban, both sexes was 1.52 million in 2019. ▲ Rising
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, urban, both sexes in Burkina Faso, 1991–2019
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2019, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, urban, both sexes in Burkina Faso stood at 1.52 million. That is the highest value across all 9 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 49.4% on the previous year and up 147.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult illiterate population, 15+ years, urban, both sexes in Burkina Faso peaked at 1.52 million in 2019 and was at its lowest, 437,077, in 1991.
That places Burkina Faso 11th out of 40 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the middle of the range.
Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, urban, both sexes in Burkina Faso, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 437,077 | — |
| 1996 | 576,107 | +31.8% |
| 2003 | 644,755 | +11.9% |
| 2005 | 622,432 | -3.5% |
| 2006 | 954,847 | +53.4% |
| 2007 | 613,781 | -35.7% |
| 2014 | 948,459 | +54.5% |
| 2018 | 1.02 million | +7.2% |
| 2019 | 1.52 million | +49.4% |
Burkina Faso compared with similar countries
- Burkina Faso's 1.52 million is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.28 million, 1.2× the median. (7 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 506,592 | 437,077 | 576,107 | 2 |
| 2000s | 708,954 | 613,781 | 954,847 | 4 |
| 2010s | 1.16 million | 948,459 | 1.52 million | 3 |
Countries ranked near Burkina Faso
More education data for Burkina Faso
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 68,557 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 105,439 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 78,072 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 75,598 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.19 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.07 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 8.2 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1303 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, urban, both sexes in Burkina Faso?
- Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, urban, both sexes in Burkina Faso was 1.52 million in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, urban, both sexes recorded in Burkina Faso?
- The highest recorded value was 1.52 million in 2019.
- What is the lowest adult illiterate population, 15+ years, urban, both sexes recorded in Burkina Faso?
- The lowest recorded value was 437,077 in 1991.
- How does Burkina Faso rank for adult illiterate population, 15+ years, urban, both sexes?
- Burkina Faso ranks 11th out of 40 countries with data for 2019.
- Is adult illiterate population, 15+ years, urban, both sexes rising or falling in Burkina Faso?
- Over the last ten years it is up 147.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Burkina Faso data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Adult illiterate population, 15+ years, urban, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release