Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in ECA: Sahel (unsdcode:98124)
ECA: Sahel (unsdcode:98124): Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes was 56.0% in 2021. ▲ Rising
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in ECA: Sahel (unsdcode:98124), 1985–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in ECA: Sahel (unsdcode:98124) is 56.0%, measured in 2021.
The figure is up 0.5% on the previous year and up 10.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in ECA: Sahel (unsdcode:98124) peaked at 56.1% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 39.7%, in 1985.
That places ECA: Sahel (unsdcode:98124) 203rd out of 203 groups with data for 2021, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 37 years of available data.
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in ECA: Sahel (unsdcode:98124), year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 39.7% | — |
| 1986 | 39.8% | +0.4% |
| 1987 | 40.6% | +2.0% |
| 1988 | 41.4% | +2.0% |
| 1989 | 42.3% | +2.1% |
| 1990 | 43.1% | +2.0% |
| 1991 | 44.0% | +2.0% |
| 1992 | 44.9% | +1.9% |
| 1993 | 45.8% | +2.0% |
| 1994 | 46.8% | +2.2% |
| 1995 | 47.5% | +1.7% |
| 1996 | 48.5% | +1.9% |
| 1997 | 49.4% | +2.0% |
| 1998 | 51.0% | +3.3% |
| 1999 | 52.0% | +1.8% |
| 2000 | 46.0% | -11.5% |
| 2001 | 47.3% | +2.8% |
| 2002 | 48.0% | +1.5% |
| 2003 | 48.5% | +1.1% |
| 2004 | 50.0% | +3.1% |
| 2005 | 50.4% | +0.8% |
| 2006 | 51.1% | +1.3% |
| 2007 | 48.0% | -6.1% |
| 2008 | 48.3% | +0.7% |
| 2009 | 49.5% | +2.4% |
| 2010 | 50.0% | +1.1% |
| 2011 | 50.9% | +1.8% |
| 2012 | 51.4% | +1.0% |
| 2013 | 52.3% | +1.8% |
| 2014 | 52.9% | +1.2% |
| 2015 | 53.9% | +1.7% |
| 2016 | 54.2% | +0.7% |
| 2017 | 55.3% | +2.0% |
| 2018 | 56.1% | +1.4% |
| 2019 | 55.7% | -0.7% |
| 2020 | 55.7% | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 56.0% | +0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 40.8% | 39.7% | 42.3% | 5 |
| 1990s | 47.3% | 43.1% | 52.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 48.7% | 46.0% | 51.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 53.3% | 50.0% | 56.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 55.9% | 55.7% | 56.0% | 2 |
More education data for ECA: Sahel (unsdcode:98124)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 27.45 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 1.15 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 1.56 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 0.3305 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 24.26 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), annual growth rate 0.7207 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 29.27 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.02 % change on previous year (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 2.27 million (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 2.02 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in ECA: Sahel (unsdcode:98124)?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in ECA: Sahel (unsdcode:98124) was 56.0% in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes recorded in ECA: Sahel (unsdcode:98124)?
- The highest recorded value was 56.1% in 2018.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes recorded in ECA: Sahel (unsdcode:98124)?
- The lowest recorded value was 39.7% in 1985.
- How does ECA: Sahel (unsdcode:98124) rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes?
- ECA: Sahel (unsdcode:98124) ranks 203rd out of 203 groups with data for 2021.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes rising or falling in ECA: Sahel (unsdcode:98124)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this ECA: Sahel (unsdcode:98124) 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