Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Benin
Benin: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes was 40.2% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Benin, 1979–2022
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Benin recorded 40.2% for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in 2022. That is the highest value across all 7 years on record.
The figure is up 19.6% on the previous year and up 22.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Benin peaked at 40.2% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 6.8%, in 1979.
Benin ranks 49th of 53 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Benin, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 6.8% | — |
| 2002 | 21.0% | +209.0% |
| 2013 | 32.9% | +56.8% |
| 2017 | 30.3% | -7.9% |
| 2019 | 39.1% | +29.0% |
| 2021 | 33.6% | -13.9% |
| 2022 | 40.2% | +19.6% |
Benin compared with similar countries
- Benin's 40.2% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 69.1%, 58% of the median. (16 countries reporting)
- Benin's 40.2% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 50.2%, 80% of the median. (12 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 6.8% | 6.8% | 6.8% | 1 |
| 2000s | 21.0% | 21.0% | 21.0% | 1 |
| 2010s | 34.1% | 30.3% | 39.1% | 3 |
| 2020s | 36.9% | 33.6% | 40.2% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Benin
More education data for Benin
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 57,296 (2022)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 209,295 (2022)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 85,495 (2022)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 84,746 (2022)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 929,099 (2022)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.40 million (2022)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 5.18 % change on previous year (2022)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2022)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1743 units per person (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Benin?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Benin was 40.2% in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes recorded in Benin?
- The highest recorded value was 40.2% in 2022.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes recorded in Benin?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.8% in 1979.
- How does Benin rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes?
- Benin ranks 49th out of 53 countries with data for 2022.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes rising or falling in Benin?
- Over the last ten years it is up 22.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Benin data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 7 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release