Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes was 31.7% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Burkina Faso, 1991–2022
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2022, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Burkina Faso stood at 31.7%. That is the highest value across all 11 years on record.
The figure is up 22.9% on the previous year and up 35.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Burkina Faso peaked at 31.7% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 6.9%, in 1996.
That places Burkina Faso 51st out of 53 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 11 years of available data.
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Burkina Faso, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 7.7% | — |
| 1996 | 6.9% | -10.7% |
| 2003 | 12.5% | +82.2% |
| 2005 | 14.4% | +15.4% |
| 2006 | 11.4% | -21.1% |
| 2007 | 18.9% | +65.7% |
| 2014 | 23.4% | +24.1% |
| 2018 | 25.7% | +9.4% |
| 2019 | 18.5% | -27.9% |
| 2021 | 25.8% | +39.3% |
| 2022 | 31.7% | +22.9% |
Burkina Faso compared with similar countries
- Burkina Faso's 31.7% is below the median for low income countries, which is 47.1%, 67% of the median. (7 countries reporting)
- Burkina Faso's 31.7% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 50.2%, 63% of the median. (12 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 7.3% | 6.9% | 7.7% | 2 |
| 2000s | 14.3% | 11.4% | 18.9% | 4 |
| 2010s | 22.5% | 18.5% | 25.7% | 3 |
| 2020s | 28.7% | 25.8% | 31.7% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Burkina Faso
More education data for Burkina Faso
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 68,557 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 105,439 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 78,072 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 75,598 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.19 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.07 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 8.2 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1303 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Burkina Faso?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Burkina Faso was 31.7% in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes recorded in Burkina Faso?
- The highest recorded value was 31.7% in 2022.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes recorded in Burkina Faso?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.9% in 1996.
- How does Burkina Faso rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes?
- Burkina Faso ranks 51st out of 53 countries with data for 2022.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes rising or falling in Burkina Faso?
- Over the last ten years it is up 35.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Burkina Faso 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.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release