Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa
SDG: Sub-saharan Africa: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female was 62.9% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa, 1984–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa stood at 62.9%. That is the highest value across all 41 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.6% on the previous year and up 12.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa peaked at 62.9% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 38.2%, in 1984.
That places SDG: Sub-saharan Africa 164th out of 203 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 41 years of available data.
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | 38.2% | — |
| 1985 | 38.6% | +1.1% |
| 1986 | 39.0% | +1.0% |
| 1987 | 39.8% | +1.9% |
| 1988 | 40.4% | +1.6% |
| 1989 | 41.0% | +1.5% |
| 1990 | 41.8% | +1.9% |
| 1991 | 42.1% | +0.9% |
| 1992 | 42.8% | +1.5% |
| 1993 | 43.6% | +1.9% |
| 1994 | 44.2% | +1.5% |
| 1995 | 45.1% | +1.9% |
| 1996 | 45.9% | +1.9% |
| 1997 | 47.0% | +2.4% |
| 1998 | 47.7% | +1.5% |
| 1999 | 48.6% | +1.9% |
| 2000 | 47.1% | -3.2% |
| 2001 | 48.0% | +2.0% |
| 2002 | 48.2% | +0.5% |
| 2003 | 49.0% | +1.5% |
| 2004 | 49.6% | +1.3% |
| 2005 | 49.3% | -0.6% |
| 2006 | 49.0% | -0.7% |
| 2007 | 49.1% | +0.3% |
| 2008 | 49.5% | +0.8% |
| 2009 | 50.0% | +1.0% |
| 2010 | 51.0% | +1.9% |
| 2011 | 53.0% | +4.0% |
| 2012 | 54.4% | +2.5% |
| 2013 | 55.4% | +1.8% |
| 2014 | 56.1% | +1.4% |
| 2015 | 56.9% | +1.4% |
| 2016 | 57.8% | +1.5% |
| 2017 | 58.3% | +0.9% |
| 2018 | 60.5% | +3.7% |
| 2019 | 61.3% | +1.4% |
| 2020 | 61.6% | +0.4% |
| 2021 | 61.6% | +0.1% |
| 2022 | 62.1% | +0.7% |
| 2023 | 62.5% | +0.7% |
| 2024 | 62.9% | +0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 39.5% | 38.2% | 41.0% | 6 |
| 1990s | 44.9% | 41.8% | 48.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 48.9% | 47.1% | 50.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 56.5% | 51.0% | 61.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 62.1% | 61.6% | 62.9% | 5 |
More education data for SDG: Sub-saharan Africa
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 191.30 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.31 % change on previous year (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 14.32 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.68 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 37.60 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 12.63 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 12.47 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 0.8202 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 4.94 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 97.68 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa was 62.9% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female recorded in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 62.9% in 2024.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female recorded in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 38.2% in 1984.
- How does SDG: Sub-saharan Africa rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female?
- SDG: Sub-saharan Africa ranks 164th out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female rising or falling in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this SDG: Sub-saharan Africa 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