Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in Benin
Benin: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female was 41.5% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Latest (2022)
41.5%
Change on year
up 25.3%
World rank
80th
of 89 countries
All-time high
42.5%
in 2011
All-time low
9.5%
in 1979
Years of data
9
1979–2022
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in Benin, 1979–2022
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Benin recorded 41.5% for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in 2022.
That represents a change of up 25.3% on the previous year and down 2.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in Benin peaked at 42.5% in 2011 and was at its lowest, 9.5%, in 1979.
Benin ranks 80th of 89 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in Benin, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 9.5% | — |
| 1992 | 16.6% | +73.7% |
| 2002 | 23.3% | +40.6% |
| 2011 | 42.5% | +82.2% |
| 2013 | 34.8% | -18.1% |
| 2017 | 28.6% | -17.9% |
| 2019 | 38.1% | +33.5% |
| 2021 | 33.1% | -13.0% |
| 2022 | 41.5% | +25.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 9.5% | 9.5% | 9.5% | 1 |
| 1990s | 16.6% | 16.6% | 16.6% | 1 |
| 2000s | 23.3% | 23.3% | 23.3% | 1 |
| 2010s | 36.0% | 28.6% | 42.5% | 4 |
| 2020s | 37.3% | 33.1% | 41.5% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Benin
- 77 Mozambique 50.9% compare
- 78 Ethiopia 50.0% compare
- 79 Pakistan 48.5% compare
- 81 Senegal 41.5% compare
- 82 Côte d'Ivoire 40.3% compare
- 83 Burkina Faso 35.7% compare
More education data for Benin
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 57,296 (2022)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 209,295 (2022)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 85,495 (2022)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 84,746 (2022)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 929,099 (2022)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.40 million (2022)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 5.18 % change on previous year (2022)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2022)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1743 units per person (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in Benin?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in Benin was 41.5% in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female recorded in Benin?
- The highest recorded value was 42.5% in 2011.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female recorded in Benin?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.5% in 1979.
- How does Benin rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female?
- Benin ranks 80th out of 89 countries with data for 2022.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female rising or falling in Benin?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Benin data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release