Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female was 33.9% in 2019. ▲ Rising
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in Sierra Leone, 2004–2019
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in Sierra Leone is 33.9%, measured in 2019.
That represents a change of down 16.4% on the previous year and up 40.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in Sierra Leone peaked at 40.6% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 24.2%, in 2004.
That places Sierra Leone 84th out of 89 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 24.2% | — |
| 2014 | 34.8% | +44.2% |
| 2015 | 40.4% | +16.1% |
| 2017 | 36.2% | -10.3% |
| 2018 | 40.6% | +12.0% |
| 2019 | 33.9% | -16.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 24.2% | 24.2% | 24.2% | 1 |
| 2010s | 37.2% | 33.9% | 40.6% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
- 81 Senegal 41.5% compare
- 82 Côte d'Ivoire 40.3% compare
- 83 Burkina Faso 35.7% compare
- 85 Mali 27.7% compare
- 86 Guinea 27.7% compare
- 87 Afghanistan 26.6% compare
More education data for Sierra Leone
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 38,043 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 73,295 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 85,708 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 92,723 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.16 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.07 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 2.52 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.2393 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in Sierra Leone?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in Sierra Leone was 33.9% in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 40.6% in 2018.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 24.2% in 2004.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female?
- Sierra Leone ranks 84th out of 89 countries with data for 2019.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is up 40.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sierra Leone 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