Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in Burundi
Burundi: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes was 71.3% in 2020. ▲ Rising
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in Burundi, 1979–2020
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Burundi recorded 71.3% for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in 2020. That is the highest value across all 8 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.3% on the previous year and up 48.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in Burundi peaked at 71.3% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 22.5%, in 1979.
Burundi ranks 70th of 89 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in Burundi, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 22.5% | — |
| 1990 | 37.4% | +66.1% |
| 2000 | 59.3% | +58.6% |
| 2008 | 48.1% | -18.9% |
| 2014 | 61.3% | +27.5% |
| 2016 | 65.7% | +7.2% |
| 2017 | 68.4% | +4.1% |
| 2020 | 71.3% | +4.3% |
Burundi compared with similar countries
- Burundi's 71.3% is above the median for low income countries, which is 60.5%, 1.2× the median. (13 countries reporting)
- Burundi's 71.3% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 70.9%, 1.0× the median. (28 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 22.5% | 22.5% | 22.5% | 1 |
| 1990s | 37.4% | 37.4% | 37.4% | 1 |
| 2000s | 53.7% | 48.1% | 59.3% | 2 |
| 2010s | 65.1% | 61.3% | 68.4% | 3 |
| 2020s | 71.3% | 71.3% | 71.3% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Burundi
More education data for Burundi
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 27,748 (2025)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 646,726 (2020)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 115,798 (2025)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 117,464 (2025)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 590,027 (2025)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.52 million (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 4.06 % change on previous year (2020)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0007 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1748 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in Burundi?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in Burundi was 71.3% in 2020, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes recorded in Burundi?
- The highest recorded value was 71.3% in 2020.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes recorded in Burundi?
- The lowest recorded value was 22.5% in 1979.
- How does Burundi rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes?
- Burundi ranks 70th out of 89 countries with data for 2020.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes rising or falling in Burundi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 48.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Burundi data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 8 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release