Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in GPE: Sub-saharan Africa Wb Fy24, December 2024
GPE: Sub-saharan Africa Wb Fy24, December 2024: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes was 67.0% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in GPE: Sub-saharan Africa Wb Fy24, December 2024, 1986–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
GPE: Sub-saharan Africa Wb Fy24, December 2024 recorded 67.0% for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in 2024. That is the highest value across all 39 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.4% on the previous year and up 9.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in GPE: Sub-saharan Africa Wb Fy24, December 2024 peaked at 67.0% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 46.8%, in 1986.
That places GPE: Sub-saharan Africa Wb Fy24, December 2024 177th out of 203 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 39 years of available data.
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in GPE: Sub-saharan Africa Wb Fy24, December 2024, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | 46.8% | — |
| 1987 | 47.5% | +1.4% |
| 1988 | 48.0% | +1.1% |
| 1989 | 48.5% | +1.1% |
| 1990 | 49.2% | +1.4% |
| 1991 | 49.8% | +1.1% |
| 1992 | 50.2% | +1.0% |
| 1993 | 50.8% | +1.2% |
| 1994 | 51.5% | +1.2% |
| 1995 | 51.9% | +0.9% |
| 1996 | 52.6% | +1.3% |
| 1997 | 53.4% | +1.6% |
| 1998 | 54.1% | +1.3% |
| 1999 | 55.0% | +1.7% |
| 2000 | 53.7% | -2.3% |
| 2001 | 54.5% | +1.5% |
| 2002 | 55.2% | +1.3% |
| 2003 | 55.8% | +1.0% |
| 2004 | 56.4% | +1.1% |
| 2005 | 56.0% | -0.7% |
| 2006 | 55.0% | -1.7% |
| 2007 | 54.8% | -0.4% |
| 2008 | 55.2% | +0.7% |
| 2009 | 55.5% | +0.6% |
| 2010 | 56.3% | +1.3% |
| 2011 | 58.1% | +3.3% |
| 2012 | 59.5% | +2.3% |
| 2013 | 60.4% | +1.6% |
| 2014 | 61.0% | +1.0% |
| 2015 | 61.7% | +1.1% |
| 2016 | 62.4% | +1.1% |
| 2017 | 63.4% | +1.7% |
| 2018 | 65.4% | +3.2% |
| 2019 | 65.5% | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 65.7% | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 66.1% | +0.5% |
| 2022 | 66.4% | +0.5% |
| 2023 | 66.7% | +0.5% |
| 2024 | 67.0% | +0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 47.7% | 46.8% | 48.5% | 4 |
| 1990s | 51.8% | 49.2% | 55.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 55.2% | 53.7% | 56.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 61.4% | 56.3% | 65.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 66.4% | 65.7% | 67.0% | 5 |
More education data for GPE: Sub-saharan Africa Wb Fy24, December 2024
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 1.49 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 1.34 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 4.79 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 0.8454 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 35.82 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.54 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 39.26 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.16 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 25.27 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 5.38 million (2021)
All data for GPE: Sub-saharan Africa Wb Fy24, December 2024 →
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in GPE: Sub-saharan Africa Wb Fy24, December 2024?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in GPE: Sub-saharan Africa Wb Fy24, December 2024 was 67.0% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes recorded in GPE: Sub-saharan Africa Wb Fy24, December 2024?
- The highest recorded value was 67.0% in 2024.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes recorded in GPE: Sub-saharan Africa Wb Fy24, December 2024?
- The lowest recorded value was 46.8% in 1986.
- How does GPE: Sub-saharan Africa Wb Fy24, December 2024 rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes?
- GPE: Sub-saharan Africa Wb Fy24, December 2024 ranks 177th out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes rising or falling in GPE: Sub-saharan Africa Wb Fy24, December 2024?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this GPE: Sub-saharan Africa Wb Fy24, December 2024 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