Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity in WB: Africa Western and Central
WB: Africa Western and Central: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity was 0.76 GPIA in 2024. ▲ Rising
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity in WB: Africa Western and Central, 1985–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in GPIA.
Analysis
WB: Africa Western and Central recorded 0.76 GPIA for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity in 2024. That is the highest value across all 40 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 8.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity in WB: Africa Western and Central peaked at 0.76 GPIA in 2020 and was at its lowest, 0.55 GPIA, in 1985.
That places WB: Africa Western and Central 196th out of 203 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 40 years of available data.
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity in WB: Africa Western and Central, year by year
| Year | GPIA | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 0.55 GPIA | — |
| 1986 | 0.55 GPIA | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 0.56 GPIA | +1.8% |
| 1988 | 0.56 GPIA | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 0.57 GPIA | +1.8% |
| 1990 | 0.58 GPIA | +1.8% |
| 1991 | 0.59 GPIA | +1.7% |
| 1992 | 0.6 GPIA | +1.7% |
| 1993 | 0.61 GPIA | +1.7% |
| 1994 | 0.62 GPIA | +1.6% |
| 1995 | 0.63 GPIA | +1.6% |
| 1996 | 0.64 GPIA | +1.6% |
| 1997 | 0.65 GPIA | +1.6% |
| 1998 | 0.65 GPIA | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 0.66 GPIA | +1.5% |
| 2000 | 0.6 GPIA | -9.1% |
| 2001 | 0.61 GPIA | +1.7% |
| 2002 | 0.62 GPIA | +1.6% |
| 2003 | 0.63 GPIA | +1.6% |
| 2004 | 0.64 GPIA | +1.6% |
| 2005 | 0.64 GPIA | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 0.65 GPIA | +1.6% |
| 2007 | 0.66 GPIA | +1.5% |
| 2008 | 0.66 GPIA | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 0.66 GPIA | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 0.67 GPIA | +1.5% |
| 2011 | 0.68 GPIA | +1.5% |
| 2012 | 0.69 GPIA | +1.5% |
| 2013 | 0.69 GPIA | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 0.7 GPIA | +1.4% |
| 2015 | 0.71 GPIA | +1.4% |
| 2016 | 0.72 GPIA | +1.4% |
| 2017 | 0.72 GPIA | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 0.75 GPIA | +4.2% |
| 2019 | 0.75 GPIA | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 0.76 GPIA | +1.3% |
| 2021 | 0.76 GPIA | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 0.76 GPIA | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 0.76 GPIA | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 0.76 GPIA | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.558 GPIA | 0.55 GPIA | 0.57 GPIA | 5 |
| 1990s | 0.623 GPIA | 0.58 GPIA | 0.66 GPIA | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.637 GPIA | 0.6 GPIA | 0.66 GPIA | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.708 GPIA | 0.67 GPIA | 0.75 GPIA | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.76 GPIA | 0.76 GPIA | 0.76 GPIA | 5 |
More education data for WB: Africa Western and Central
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 4.61 million (2021)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 7.4 % change on previous year (2021)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 1.89 million (2021)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 2.08 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 1.08 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 0.7294 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 1.00 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 6.08 % change on previous year (2021)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.09 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 18.05 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity in WB: Africa Western and Central?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity in WB: Africa Western and Central was 0.76 GPIA in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity recorded in WB: Africa Western and Central?
- The highest recorded value was 0.76 GPIA in 2020.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity recorded in WB: Africa Western and Central?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.55 GPIA in 1985.
- How does WB: Africa Western and Central rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity?
- WB: Africa Western and Central ranks 196th out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity rising or falling in WB: Africa Western and Central?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this WB: Africa Western and Central data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, adjusted gender parity index (GPIA). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release