Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Uganda
Uganda: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes was 76.0% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Uganda, 1991–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Uganda stood at 76.0%. That is the highest value across all 8 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 16.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Uganda peaked at 76.0% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 52.3%, in 1991.
Uganda ranks 36th of 53 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Uganda, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 52.3% | — |
| 2002 | 64.9% | +24.0% |
| 2006 | 68.0% | +4.7% |
| 2010 | 69.6% | +2.4% |
| 2012 | 65.4% | -6.0% |
| 2014 | 63.0% | -3.6% |
| 2016 | 64.5% | +2.3% |
| 2023 | 76.0% | +17.8% |
Uganda compared with similar countries
- Uganda's 76.0% is above the median for low income countries, which is 47.1%, 1.6× the median. (7 countries reporting)
- Uganda's 76.0% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 50.2%, 1.5× the median. (12 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 52.3% | 52.3% | 52.3% | 1 |
| 2000s | 66.5% | 64.9% | 68.0% | 2 |
| 2010s | 65.7% | 63.0% | 69.6% | 4 |
| 2020s | 76.0% | 76.0% | 76.0% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Uganda
More education data for Uganda
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 63,957 (2014)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 778,349 (2017)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 301,523 (2017)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 307,450 (2017)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.03 million (2007)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 8.84 million (2017)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 2.13 % change on previous year (2017)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2017)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.22 units per person (2017)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Uganda?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes in Uganda was 76.0% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes recorded in Uganda?
- The highest recorded value was 76.0% in 2023.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes recorded in Uganda?
- The lowest recorded value was 52.3% in 1991.
- How does Uganda rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes?
- Uganda ranks 36th out of 53 countries with data for 2023.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, both sexes rising or falling in Uganda?
- Over the last ten years it is up 16.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Uganda 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 — 8 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release