Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Senegal
Senegal: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes was 36.1% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Senegal, 2002–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Senegal recorded 36.1% for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in 2023.
The figure is up 17.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Senegal peaked at 42.7% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 24.4%, in 2002.
Senegal ranks 50th of 53 countries on this measure, 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 Senegal, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 24.4% | — |
| 2006 | 26.4% | +8.3% |
| 2009 | 31.9% | +21.0% |
| 2011 | 38.5% | +20.7% |
| 2013 | 30.7% | -20.4% |
| 2015 | 28.6% | -6.8% |
| 2016 | 30.9% | +8.2% |
| 2017 | 42.7% | +38.0% |
| 2018 | 30.8% | -27.8% |
| 2019 | 30.5% | -0.9% |
| 2023 | 36.1% | +18.2% |
Senegal compared with similar countries
- Senegal's 36.1% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 69.1%, 52% of the median. (16 countries reporting)
- Senegal's 36.1% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 50.2%, 72% of the median. (12 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 27.6% | 24.4% | 31.9% | 3 |
| 2010s | 33.3% | 28.6% | 42.7% | 7 |
| 2020s | 36.1% | 36.1% | 36.1% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Senegal
More education data for Senegal
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 55,703 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 64,252 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 162,919 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 181,550 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.28 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.35 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.4401 % 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 0.127 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Senegal?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Senegal was 36.1% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes recorded in Senegal?
- The highest recorded value was 42.7% in 2017.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes recorded in Senegal?
- The lowest recorded value was 24.4% in 2002.
- How does Senegal rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes?
- Senegal ranks 50th out of 53 countries with data for 2023.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes rising or falling in Senegal?
- Over the last ten years it is up 17.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Senegal 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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CSV · JSON — 11 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release