Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in UNICEF: West and Central Africa
UNICEF: West and Central Africa: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female was 56.3% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in UNICEF: West and Central Africa, 1985–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in UNICEF: West and Central Africa stood at 56.3%. That is the highest value across all 40 years on record.
The figure is up 0.5% on the previous year and up 17.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in UNICEF: West and Central Africa peaked at 56.3% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 31.6%, in 1985.
That places UNICEF: West and Central Africa 190th out of 203 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 40 years of available data.
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in UNICEF: West and Central Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 31.6% | — |
| 1986 | 31.8% | +0.8% |
| 1987 | 32.5% | +2.1% |
| 1988 | 33.1% | +1.9% |
| 1989 | 33.9% | +2.2% |
| 1990 | 34.6% | +2.2% |
| 1991 | 35.4% | +2.3% |
| 1992 | 36.1% | +2.1% |
| 1993 | 36.9% | +2.2% |
| 1994 | 37.8% | +2.3% |
| 1995 | 38.2% | +1.2% |
| 1996 | 39.1% | +2.2% |
| 1997 | 40.1% | +2.6% |
| 1998 | 41.2% | +2.8% |
| 1999 | 42.2% | +2.4% |
| 2000 | 38.3% | -9.4% |
| 2001 | 39.4% | +3.0% |
| 2002 | 40.3% | +2.2% |
| 2003 | 41.2% | +2.1% |
| 2004 | 42.2% | +2.5% |
| 2005 | 42.5% | +0.8% |
| 2006 | 41.9% | -1.4% |
| 2007 | 40.8% | -2.7% |
| 2008 | 41.4% | +1.4% |
| 2009 | 41.4% | +0.1% |
| 2010 | 42.3% | +2.2% |
| 2011 | 45.6% | +7.8% |
| 2012 | 46.2% | +1.4% |
| 2013 | 47.2% | +2.0% |
| 2014 | 48.1% | +2.1% |
| 2015 | 49.1% | +2.0% |
| 2016 | 49.8% | +1.5% |
| 2017 | 50.9% | +2.1% |
| 2018 | 54.3% | +6.7% |
| 2019 | 54.4% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 54.8% | +0.6% |
| 2021 | 55.2% | +0.8% |
| 2022 | 55.6% | +0.8% |
| 2023 | 56.0% | +0.7% |
| 2024 | 56.3% | +0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 32.6% | 31.6% | 33.9% | 5 |
| 1990s | 38.2% | 34.6% | 42.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 40.9% | 38.3% | 42.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 48.8% | 42.3% | 54.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 55.6% | 54.8% | 56.3% | 5 |
More education data for UNICEF: West and Central Africa
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number) 4.92 % change on previous year (2021)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 20.41 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 0.9224 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 22.91 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 0.5411 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 8.34 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 0.9535 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 5.20 million (2021)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 1.46 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 5.73 % change on previous year (2021)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in UNICEF: West and Central Africa?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female in UNICEF: West and Central Africa was 56.3% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female recorded in UNICEF: West and Central Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 56.3% in 2024.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female recorded in UNICEF: West and Central Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 31.6% in 1985.
- How does UNICEF: West and Central Africa rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female?
- UNICEF: West and Central Africa ranks 190th out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, female rising or falling in UNICEF: West and Central Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 17.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this UNICEF: West and Central 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