Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in ECA: Ecowas (unsdcode:98108)
ECA: Ecowas (unsdcode:98108): Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes was 61.0% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in ECA: Ecowas (unsdcode:98108), 1985–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in ECA: Ecowas (unsdcode:98108) is 61.0%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 40 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.3% on the previous year and up 13.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in ECA: Ecowas (unsdcode:98108) peaked at 61.0% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 39.7%, in 1985.
ECA: Ecowas (unsdcode:98108) ranks 195th of 203 groups on this measure, 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, both sexes in ECA: Ecowas (unsdcode:98108), year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 39.7% | — |
| 1986 | 39.9% | +0.4% |
| 1987 | 40.7% | +2.0% |
| 1988 | 41.4% | +1.7% |
| 1989 | 42.2% | +1.9% |
| 1990 | 43.0% | +1.9% |
| 1991 | 43.8% | +1.8% |
| 1992 | 44.6% | +1.9% |
| 1993 | 45.5% | +1.9% |
| 1994 | 46.3% | +1.9% |
| 1995 | 46.5% | +0.2% |
| 1996 | 47.4% | +2.0% |
| 1997 | 48.3% | +2.0% |
| 1998 | 49.3% | +2.1% |
| 1999 | 50.2% | +1.8% |
| 2000 | 46.1% | -8.2% |
| 2001 | 47.3% | +2.7% |
| 2002 | 48.0% | +1.5% |
| 2003 | 48.7% | +1.4% |
| 2004 | 50.1% | +3.0% |
| 2005 | 50.6% | +0.9% |
| 2006 | 51.2% | +1.3% |
| 2007 | 49.1% | -4.1% |
| 2008 | 49.5% | +0.8% |
| 2009 | 49.5% | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 50.1% | +1.2% |
| 2011 | 51.3% | +2.2% |
| 2012 | 52.1% | +1.7% |
| 2013 | 53.0% | +1.7% |
| 2014 | 53.7% | +1.4% |
| 2015 | 54.6% | +1.7% |
| 2016 | 55.2% | +1.2% |
| 2017 | 56.3% | +2.0% |
| 2018 | 60.3% | +7.0% |
| 2019 | 60.0% | -0.5% |
| 2020 | 60.0% | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 60.3% | +0.4% |
| 2022 | 60.6% | +0.5% |
| 2023 | 60.8% | +0.4% |
| 2024 | 61.0% | +0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 40.8% | 39.7% | 42.2% | 5 |
| 1990s | 46.5% | 43.0% | 50.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 49.0% | 46.1% | 51.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 54.7% | 50.1% | 60.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 60.5% | 60.0% | 61.0% | 5 |
More education data for ECA: Ecowas (unsdcode:98108)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 6.60 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 31.31 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 947,845 (2023)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 0.7446 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 873,576 (2023)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 5.35 % change on previous year (2020)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 3.80 million (2020)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 0.8591 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 2.59 % change on previous year (2023)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 15.44 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in ECA: Ecowas (unsdcode:98108)?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in ECA: Ecowas (unsdcode:98108) was 61.0% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes recorded in ECA: Ecowas (unsdcode:98108)?
- The highest recorded value was 61.0% in 2024.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes recorded in ECA: Ecowas (unsdcode:98108)?
- The lowest recorded value was 39.7% in 1985.
- How does ECA: Ecowas (unsdcode:98108) rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes?
- ECA: Ecowas (unsdcode:98108) ranks 195th out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes rising or falling in ECA: Ecowas (unsdcode:98108)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 13.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this ECA: Ecowas (unsdcode:98108) 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.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release