Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Tanzania
Tanzania: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes was 72.1% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Tanzania, 1988–2022
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Tanzania recorded 72.1% for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in 2022. That is the highest value across all 5 years on record.
The figure is up 1.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Tanzania peaked at 72.1% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 54.2%, in 1988.
Tanzania ranks 40th of 53 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Tanzania, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 54.2% | — |
| 2002 | 63.1% | +16.4% |
| 2012 | 71.0% | +12.6% |
| 2015 | 71.0% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 72.1% | +1.5% |
Tanzania compared with similar countries
- Tanzania's 72.1% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 69.1%, 1.0× the median. (16 countries reporting)
- Tanzania's 72.1% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 50.2%, 1.4× the median. (12 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 54.2% | 54.2% | 54.2% | 1 |
| 2000s | 63.1% | 63.1% | 63.1% | 1 |
| 2010s | 71.0% | 71.0% | 71.0% | 2 |
| 2020s | 72.1% | 72.1% | 72.1% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Tanzania
More education data for Tanzania
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 106,006 (2020)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 331,605 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 851,911 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 824,648 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.83 million (2021)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 11.39 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -0.3307 % 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 0.1661 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Tanzania?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Tanzania was 72.1% in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes recorded in Tanzania?
- The highest recorded value was 72.1% in 2022.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes recorded in Tanzania?
- The lowest recorded value was 54.2% in 1988.
- How does Tanzania rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes?
- Tanzania ranks 40th out of 53 countries with data for 2022.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes rising or falling in Tanzania?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Tanzania 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 — 5 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release