Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in ECA: North Africa (unsdcode:98103)
ECA: North Africa (unsdcode:98103): Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes was 74.8% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in ECA: North Africa (unsdcode:98103), 1974–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
ECA: North Africa (unsdcode:98103) recorded 74.8% for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in 2024. That is the highest value across all 51 years on record.
The figure is up 0.7% on the previous year and up 3.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in ECA: North Africa (unsdcode:98103) peaked at 74.8% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 39.6%, in 1974.
That places ECA: North Africa (unsdcode:98103) 137th out of 203 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 51 years of available data.
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in ECA: North Africa (unsdcode:98103), year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | 39.6% | — |
| 1975 | 39.9% | +0.8% |
| 1976 | 40.2% | +0.8% |
| 1977 | 40.6% | +0.8% |
| 1978 | 41.0% | +1.2% |
| 1979 | 41.5% | +1.2% |
| 1980 | 42.2% | +1.6% |
| 1981 | 42.9% | +1.6% |
| 1982 | 43.5% | +1.6% |
| 1983 | 43.5% | -0.1% |
| 1984 | 44.5% | +2.3% |
| 1985 | 45.5% | +2.3% |
| 1986 | 46.6% | +2.3% |
| 1987 | 47.6% | +2.2% |
| 1988 | 48.6% | +2.1% |
| 1989 | 49.6% | +2.1% |
| 1990 | 50.6% | +2.0% |
| 1991 | 51.9% | +2.5% |
| 1992 | 52.9% | +1.9% |
| 1993 | 53.5% | +1.2% |
| 1994 | 54.4% | +1.7% |
| 1995 | 55.4% | +1.7% |
| 1996 | 56.5% | +2.0% |
| 1997 | 57.6% | +2.0% |
| 1998 | 58.8% | +2.0% |
| 1999 | 59.8% | +1.8% |
| 2000 | 60.9% | +1.7% |
| 2001 | 62.1% | +2.1% |
| 2002 | 63.1% | +1.6% |
| 2003 | 67.1% | +6.4% |
| 2004 | 68.0% | +1.3% |
| 2005 | 68.6% | +0.8% |
| 2006 | 64.5% | -5.9% |
| 2007 | 65.2% | +1.1% |
| 2008 | 66.2% | +1.5% |
| 2009 | 67.6% | +2.2% |
| 2010 | 68.3% | +1.0% |
| 2011 | 70.3% | +2.9% |
| 2012 | 71.6% | +1.8% |
| 2013 | 72.9% | +1.9% |
| 2014 | 72.5% | -0.6% |
| 2015 | 73.2% | +0.9% |
| 2016 | 70.5% | -3.6% |
| 2017 | 71.2% | +1.0% |
| 2018 | 71.9% | +0.9% |
| 2019 | 72.3% | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 72.8% | +0.6% |
| 2021 | 73.3% | +0.7% |
| 2022 | 73.8% | +0.7% |
| 2023 | 74.3% | +0.6% |
| 2024 | 74.8% | +0.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 40.5% | 39.6% | 41.5% | 6 |
| 1980s | 45.4% | 42.2% | 49.6% | 10 |
| 1990s | 55.1% | 50.6% | 59.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 65.3% | 60.9% | 68.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 71.5% | 68.3% | 73.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 73.8% | 72.8% | 74.8% | 5 |
More education data for ECA: North Africa (unsdcode:98103)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), annual growth rate 0.9256 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 13.06 million (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 875,090 (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 4.75 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 1.32 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 3.98 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 26.47 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 2.34 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 16.59 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 1.24 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in ECA: North Africa (unsdcode:98103)?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in ECA: North Africa (unsdcode:98103) was 74.8% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes recorded in ECA: North Africa (unsdcode:98103)?
- The highest recorded value was 74.8% in 2024.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes recorded in ECA: North Africa (unsdcode:98103)?
- The lowest recorded value was 39.6% in 1974.
- How does ECA: North Africa (unsdcode:98103) rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes?
- ECA: North Africa (unsdcode:98103) ranks 137th out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes rising or falling in ECA: North Africa (unsdcode:98103)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this ECA: North Africa (unsdcode:98103) 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