Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in Senegal
Senegal: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female was 41.5% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in Senegal, 1988–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Senegal recorded 41.5% for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in 2023. That is the highest value across all 12 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 22.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in Senegal peaked at 41.5% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 17.9%, in 1988.
That places Senegal 81st out of 89 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 12 years of available data.
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in Senegal, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 17.9% | — |
| 2002 | 29.2% | +63.8% |
| 2006 | 33.0% | +12.8% |
| 2009 | 37.4% | +13.4% |
| 2011 | 40.2% | +7.6% |
| 2013 | 33.8% | -16.1% |
| 2015 | 35.2% | +4.2% |
| 2016 | 37.7% | +7.1% |
| 2017 | 39.8% | +5.7% |
| 2018 | 40.6% | +2.0% |
| 2019 | 38.5% | -5.1% |
| 2023 | 41.5% | +7.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 17.9% | 17.9% | 17.9% | 1 |
| 2000s | 33.2% | 29.2% | 37.4% | 3 |
| 2010s | 38.0% | 33.8% | 40.6% | 7 |
| 2020s | 41.5% | 41.5% | 41.5% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Senegal
- 78 Ethiopia 50.0% compare
- 79 Pakistan 48.5% compare
- 80 Benin 41.5% compare
- 82 Côte d'Ivoire 40.3% compare
- 83 Burkina Faso 35.7% compare
- 84 Sierra Leone 33.9% compare
More education data for Senegal
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 55,703 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 64,252 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 162,919 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 181,550 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.28 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.35 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.4401 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.127 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in Senegal?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in Senegal was 41.5% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female recorded in Senegal?
- The highest recorded value was 41.5% in 2023.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female recorded in Senegal?
- The lowest recorded value was 17.9% in 1988.
- How does Senegal rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female?
- Senegal ranks 81st out of 89 countries with data for 2023.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female rising or falling in Senegal?
- Over the last ten years it is up 22.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Senegal 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