Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in Namibia
Namibia: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female was 87.4% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
87.4%
World rank
50th
of 89 countries
All-time high
88.0%
in 2011
All-time low
74.0%
in 1991
Years of data
6
1991–2023
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in Namibia, 1991–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in Namibia stood at 87.4%.
The figure is down 0.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in Namibia peaked at 88.0% in 2011 and was at its lowest, 74.0%, in 1991.
That places Namibia 50th out of 89 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in Namibia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 74.0% | — |
| 2001 | 83.5% | +12.9% |
| 2011 | 88.0% | +5.3% |
| 2016 | 87.2% | -0.9% |
| 2018 | 87.8% | +0.8% |
| 2023 | 87.4% | -0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 74.0% | 74.0% | 74.0% | 1 |
| 2000s | 83.5% | 83.5% | 83.5% | 1 |
| 2010s | 87.7% | 87.2% | 88.0% | 3 |
| 2020s | 87.4% | 87.4% | 87.4% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Namibia
- 47 Peru 90.7% compare
- 48 Honduras 88.8% compare
- 49 El Salvador 88.2% compare
- 51 Iran, Islamic Republic of 85.1% compare
- 52 Cape Verde 84.1% compare
- 53 Sao Tome and Principe 82.8% compare
More education data for Namibia
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 27,746 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 236,050 (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 590,029 (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 4.48 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1947 units per person (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 590,029 (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 4.48 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in Namibia?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in Namibia was 87.4% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female recorded in Namibia?
- The highest recorded value was 88.0% in 2011.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female recorded in Namibia?
- The lowest recorded value was 74.0% in 1991.
- How does Namibia rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female?
- Namibia ranks 50th out of 89 countries with data for 2023.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female rising or falling in Namibia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Namibia 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 6 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release