Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, female in Mozambique
Mozambique: Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, female was 33.8% in 2020. ▲ Rising
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, female in Mozambique, 1980–2020
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2020, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, female in Mozambique stood at 33.8%.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 9.1% on the previous year and up 44.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, female in Mozambique peaked at 37.1% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 8.4%, in 1980.
Mozambique ranks 47th of 55 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, female in Mozambique, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 8.4% | — |
| 1997 | 13.7% | +63.5% |
| 2009 | 23.4% | +70.8% |
| 2015 | 29.1% | +24.4% |
| 2017 | 37.1% | +27.6% |
| 2020 | 33.8% | -9.1% |
Mozambique compared with similar countries
- Mozambique's 33.8% is above the median for low income countries, which is 29.3%, 1.2× the median. (8 countries reporting)
- Mozambique's 33.8% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 33.8%, 1.0× the median. (13 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 8.4% | 8.4% | 8.4% | 1 |
| 1990s | 13.7% | 13.7% | 13.7% | 1 |
| 2000s | 23.4% | 23.4% | 23.4% | 1 |
| 2010s | 33.1% | 29.1% | 37.1% | 2 |
| 2020s | 33.8% | 33.8% | 33.8% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Mozambique
More education data for Mozambique
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 33,281 (2017)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 278,480 (2022)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 24,278 (1986)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 20,822 (1986)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.07 million (2017)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 7.66 million (2022)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 4.4 % change on previous year (2020)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0004 units per US$ of GDP (2022)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.2344 units per person (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, female in Mozambique?
- Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, female in Mozambique was 33.8% in 2020, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, female recorded in Mozambique?
- The highest recorded value was 37.1% in 2017.
- What is the lowest adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, female recorded in Mozambique?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.4% in 1980.
- How does Mozambique rank for adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, female?
- Mozambique ranks 47th out of 55 countries with data for 2020.
- Is adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, female rising or falling in Mozambique?
- Over the last ten years it is up 44.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Mozambique data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Adult literacy rate, population 15+ years, rural, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release