Literacy rate in Benin
Benin: Literacy rate was 51.4% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate in Benin, 1979–2022
Source: UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Benin recorded 51.4% for literacy rate in 2022. That is the highest value across all 9 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 17.2% on the previous year and up 15.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate in Benin peaked at 51.4% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 16.5%, in 1979.
That places Benin 118th out of 128 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Literacy rate in Benin, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 16.5% | — |
| 1992 | 27.2% | +65.4% |
| 2002 | 34.7% | +27.2% |
| 2011 | 44.7% | +28.9% |
| 2013 | 45.1% | +0.9% |
| 2017 | 38.9% | -13.8% |
| 2019 | 49.0% | +26.1% |
| 2021 | 43.8% | -10.6% |
| 2022 | 51.4% | +17.2% |
Benin compared with similar countries
- Benin's 51.4% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 78.2%, 66% of the median. (39 countries reporting)
- Benin's 51.4% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 70.9%, 72% of the median. (36 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 16.5% | 16.5% | 16.5% | 1 |
| 1990s | 27.2% | 27.2% | 27.2% | 1 |
| 2000s | 34.7% | 34.7% | 34.7% | 1 |
| 2010s | 44.4% | 38.9% | 49.0% | 4 |
| 2020s | 47.6% | 43.8% | 51.4% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Benin
More education data for Benin
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 57,296 (2022)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 209,295 (2022)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 85,495 (2022)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 84,746 (2022)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 929,099 (2022)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.40 million (2022)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 5.18 % change on previous year (2022)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2022)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1743 units per person (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate in Benin?
- Literacy rate in Benin was 51.4% in 2022, according to UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest literacy rate recorded in Benin?
- The highest recorded value was 51.4% in 2022.
- What is the lowest literacy rate recorded in Benin?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.5% in 1979.
- How does Benin rank for literacy rate?
- Benin ranks 118th out of 128 countries with data for 2022.
- Is literacy rate rising or falling in Benin?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Benin data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Literacy rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 9 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of adults who can read and write a simple statement about their everyday life.