Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in Sao Tome and Principe
Sao Tome and Principe: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female was 82.8% in 2019. ▲ Rising
Latest (2019)
82.8%
World rank
53rd
of 89 countries
All-time high
85.4%
in 2012
All-time low
42.4%
in 1981
Years of data
5
1981–2019
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in Sao Tome and Principe, 1981–2019
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in Sao Tome and Principe is 82.8%, measured in 2019.
The figure is down 3.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in Sao Tome and Principe peaked at 85.4% in 2012 and was at its lowest, 42.4%, in 1981.
Sao Tome and Principe ranks 53rd of 89 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in Sao Tome and Principe, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 42.4% | — |
| 1991 | 61.9% | +46.2% |
| 2001 | 78.0% | +25.9% |
| 2012 | 85.4% | +9.6% |
| 2019 | 82.8% | -3.1% |
Sao Tome and Principe compared with similar countries
- Sao Tome and Principe's 82.8% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 71.4%, 1.2× the median. (30 countries reporting)
- Sao Tome and Principe's 82.8% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 63.2%, 1.3× the median. (28 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 42.4% | 42.4% | 42.4% | 1 |
| 1990s | 61.9% | 61.9% | 61.9% | 1 |
| 2000s | 78.0% | 78.0% | 78.0% | 1 |
| 2010s | 84.1% | 82.8% | 85.4% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Sao Tome and Principe
More education data for Sao Tome and Principe
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 936 (2016)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 4,544 (2017)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 4,458 (2016)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 4,769 (2016)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 25,875 (2017)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 37,172 (2017)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 2.14 % change on previous year (2017)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2017)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1796 units per person (2017)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in Sao Tome and Principe?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in Sao Tome and Principe was 82.8% in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
- The highest recorded value was 85.4% in 2012.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female recorded in Sao Tome and Principe?
- The lowest recorded value was 42.4% in 1981.
- How does Sao Tome and Principe rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female?
- Sao Tome and Principe ranks 53rd out of 89 countries with data for 2019.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female rising or falling in Sao Tome and Principe?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sao Tome and Principe 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 — 5 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release