Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male in Namibia
Namibia: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male was 87.9% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
87.9%
World rank
54th
of 88 countries
All-time high
89.2%
in 2016
All-time low
77.8%
in 1991
Years of data
6
1991–2023
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male in Namibia, 1991–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Namibia recorded 87.9% for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male in Namibia peaked at 89.2% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 77.8%, in 1991.
That places Namibia 54th out of 88 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male in Namibia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 77.8% | — |
| 2001 | 86.6% | +11.2% |
| 2011 | 88.6% | +2.4% |
| 2016 | 89.2% | +0.7% |
| 2018 | 88.8% | -0.5% |
| 2023 | 87.9% | -1.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 77.8% | 77.8% | 77.8% | 1 |
| 2000s | 86.6% | 86.6% | 86.6% | 1 |
| 2010s | 88.9% | 88.6% | 89.2% | 3 |
| 2020s | 87.9% | 87.9% | 87.9% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Namibia
More education data for Namibia
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 90,003 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 26,964 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 27,746 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 236,050 (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 590,029 (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 4.48 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1947 units per person (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male in Namibia?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male in Namibia was 87.9% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male recorded in Namibia?
- The highest recorded value was 89.2% in 2016.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male recorded in Namibia?
- The lowest recorded value was 77.8% in 1991.
- How does Namibia rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male?
- Namibia ranks 54th out of 88 countries with data for 2023.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male rising or falling in Namibia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Namibia data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male (%). 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