Literacy rate in Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso: Literacy rate was 41.6% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate in Burkina Faso, 1975–2023
Source: UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Burkina Faso recorded 41.6% for literacy rate in 2023. That is the highest value across all 13 years on record.
The figure is up 1.6% on the previous year and up 20.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate in Burkina Faso peaked at 41.6% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 8.8%, in 1975.
That places Burkina Faso 123rd out of 128 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 13 years of available data.
Literacy rate in Burkina Faso, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 8.8% | — |
| 1991 | 13.6% | +53.7% |
| 1996 | 12.8% | -5.3% |
| 2003 | 21.8% | +69.8% |
| 2005 | 23.5% | +7.8% |
| 2006 | 22.5% | -4.5% |
| 2007 | 27.9% | +24.1% |
| 2014 | 34.6% | +24.1% |
| 2018 | 39.4% | +13.7% |
| 2019 | 29.7% | -24.6% |
| 2021 | 37.0% | +24.6% |
| 2022 | 40.9% | +10.7% |
| 2023 | 41.6% | +1.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 8.8% | 8.8% | 8.8% | 1 |
| 1990s | 13.2% | 12.8% | 13.6% | 2 |
| 2000s | 23.9% | 21.8% | 27.9% | 4 |
| 2010s | 34.5% | 29.7% | 39.4% | 3 |
| 2020s | 39.8% | 37.0% | 41.6% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Burkina Faso
- 120 Côte d'Ivoire 50.0% compare
- 121 Sierra Leone 43.6% compare
- 122 Central African Republic 42.4% compare
- 124 Guinea 39.6% compare
- 125 Afghanistan 37.3% compare
- 126 Mali 35.6% compare
More education data for Burkina Faso
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 2.62 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 45,944 (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 45,820 (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 94,982 (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 8.35 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 130,920 (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number) -1.16 % change on previous year (2024)
- Theoretical duration of primary education (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Theoretical duration of pre-primary education (years), annual growth 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Start of the academic school year (pre-primary to post-secondary non) 0.0494 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate in Burkina Faso?
- Literacy rate in Burkina Faso was 41.6% in 2023, according to UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest literacy rate recorded in Burkina Faso?
- The highest recorded value was 41.6% in 2023.
- What is the lowest literacy rate recorded in Burkina Faso?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.8% in 1975.
- How does Burkina Faso rank for literacy rate?
- Burkina Faso ranks 123rd out of 128 countries with data for 2023.
- Is literacy rate rising or falling in Burkina Faso?
- Over the last ten years it is up 20.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Burkina Faso 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.
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About this data
Share of adults who can read and write a simple statement about their everyday life.