Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in MDG: Sub-saharan Africa
MDG: Sub-saharan Africa: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes was 68.7% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in MDG: Sub-saharan Africa, 1985–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
MDG: Sub-saharan Africa recorded 68.7% for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in 2024. That is the highest value across all 40 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.4% on the previous year and up 7.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in MDG: Sub-saharan Africa peaked at 68.7% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 49.7%, in 1985.
MDG: Sub-saharan Africa ranks 164th 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 MDG: Sub-saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 49.7% | — |
| 1986 | 50.0% | +0.7% |
| 1987 | 50.6% | +1.3% |
| 1988 | 51.1% | +1.0% |
| 1989 | 51.7% | +1.1% |
| 1990 | 52.3% | +1.2% |
| 1991 | 52.7% | +0.7% |
| 1992 | 53.1% | +0.9% |
| 1993 | 53.7% | +1.1% |
| 1994 | 54.3% | +1.2% |
| 1995 | 54.7% | +0.7% |
| 1996 | 55.4% | +1.2% |
| 1997 | 56.2% | +1.4% |
| 1998 | 56.8% | +1.2% |
| 1999 | 57.7% | +1.5% |
| 2000 | 56.6% | -2.0% |
| 2001 | 57.3% | +1.4% |
| 2002 | 58.0% | +1.2% |
| 2003 | 58.6% | +0.9% |
| 2004 | 59.3% | +1.2% |
| 2005 | 58.9% | -0.5% |
| 2006 | 58.0% | -1.5% |
| 2007 | 57.8% | -0.3% |
| 2008 | 58.2% | +0.6% |
| 2009 | 58.6% | +0.8% |
| 2010 | 59.3% | +1.1% |
| 2011 | 61.0% | +2.8% |
| 2012 | 62.2% | +2.0% |
| 2013 | 63.1% | +1.4% |
| 2014 | 63.7% | +0.9% |
| 2015 | 64.3% | +0.9% |
| 2016 | 64.9% | +1.0% |
| 2017 | 65.2% | +0.6% |
| 2018 | 67.1% | +2.9% |
| 2019 | 67.7% | +0.9% |
| 2020 | 67.9% | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 67.8% | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 68.2% | +0.5% |
| 2023 | 68.4% | +0.4% |
| 2024 | 68.7% | +0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 50.6% | 49.7% | 51.7% | 5 |
| 1990s | 54.7% | 52.3% | 57.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 58.1% | 56.6% | 59.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 63.9% | 59.3% | 67.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 68.2% | 67.8% | 68.7% | 5 |
More education data for MDG: Sub-saharan Africa
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 5.90 million (2021)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 39.14 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.62 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 42.42 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.27 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 26.38 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 1.59 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number) 3.52 % change on previous year (2021)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 3.88 % change on previous year (2021)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 2.60 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in MDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes in MDG: Sub-saharan Africa was 68.7% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes recorded in MDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 68.7% in 2024.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes recorded in MDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 49.7% in 1985.
- How does MDG: Sub-saharan Africa rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes?
- MDG: Sub-saharan Africa ranks 164th out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, both sexes rising or falling in MDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this MDG: Sub-saharan Africa 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