Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male in UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa
UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male was 77.0% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male in UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa, 1985–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male in UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa is 77.0%, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.2% on the previous year and up 2.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male in UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa peaked at 77.0% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 64.6%, in 1985.
That places UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa 150th out of 203 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 40 years of available data.
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male in UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 64.6% | — |
| 1986 | 65.0% | +0.5% |
| 1987 | 65.5% | +0.8% |
| 1988 | 65.8% | +0.5% |
| 1989 | 66.1% | +0.5% |
| 1990 | 66.5% | +0.6% |
| 1991 | 66.5% | -0.0% |
| 1992 | 66.7% | +0.3% |
| 1993 | 67.0% | +0.4% |
| 1994 | 67.4% | +0.6% |
| 1995 | 67.6% | +0.4% |
| 1996 | 67.9% | +0.4% |
| 1997 | 68.3% | +0.6% |
| 1998 | 68.4% | +0.1% |
| 1999 | 69.4% | +1.5% |
| 2000 | 69.7% | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 70.0% | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 71.8% | +2.6% |
| 2003 | 72.2% | +0.5% |
| 2004 | 72.3% | +0.2% |
| 2005 | 71.6% | -1.1% |
| 2006 | 69.8% | -2.5% |
| 2007 | 70.5% | +1.1% |
| 2008 | 70.8% | +0.3% |
| 2009 | 71.3% | +0.8% |
| 2010 | 72.0% | +0.9% |
| 2011 | 72.4% | +0.5% |
| 2012 | 74.1% | +2.4% |
| 2013 | 74.8% | +1.0% |
| 2014 | 75.0% | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 75.2% | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 75.8% | +0.8% |
| 2017 | 75.3% | -0.6% |
| 2018 | 75.9% | +0.9% |
| 2019 | 76.9% | +1.3% |
| 2020 | 77.0% | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 76.5% | -0.6% |
| 2022 | 76.7% | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 76.8% | +0.2% |
| 2024 | 77.0% | +0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 65.4% | 64.6% | 66.1% | 5 |
| 1990s | 67.6% | 66.5% | 69.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 71.0% | 69.7% | 72.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 74.7% | 72.0% | 76.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 76.8% | 76.5% | 77.0% | 5 |
More education data for UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 49.26 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 1.01 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 2.50 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 2.77 % change on previous year (2022)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 36.30 million (2022)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.22 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 50.69 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.32 % change on previous year (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 8.67 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 9.20 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male in UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male in UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa was 77.0% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male recorded in UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 77.0% in 2020.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male recorded in UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 64.6% in 1985.
- How does UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male?
- UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa ranks 150th out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, male rising or falling in UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this UNICEF: Eastern and Southern Africa 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.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release