Cross country literacy rates in Burundi
Burundi: Cross country literacy rates was 71.34 in 2020. ▲ Rising
Latest (2020)
71.34
Change on year
up 4.3%
World rank
103rd
of 128 countries
All-time high
71.34
in 2020
All-time low
22.51
in 1979
Years of data
8
1979–2020
Cross country literacy rates in Burundi, 1979–2020
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2020, cross country literacy rates in Burundi stood at 71.34. That is the highest value across all 8 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.3% on the previous year and up 48.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, cross country literacy rates in Burundi peaked at 71.34 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 22.51, in 1979.
Burundi ranks 103rd of 128 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
Cross country literacy rates in Burundi, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 22.51 | — |
| 1990 | 37.38 | +66.1% |
| 2000 | 59.3 | +58.6% |
| 2008 | 48.08 | -18.9% |
| 2014 | 61.29 | +27.5% |
| 2016 | 65.69 | +7.2% |
| 2017 | 68.38 | +4.1% |
| 2020 | 71.34 | +4.3% |
Burundi compared with similar countries
- Burundi's 71.34 is above the median for low income countries, which is 61.06, 1.2× the median. (18 countries reporting)
- Burundi's 71.34 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 70.87, 1.0× the median. (36 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 22.51 | 22.51 | 22.51 | 1 |
| 1990s | 37.38 | 37.38 | 37.38 | 1 |
| 2000s | 53.69 | 48.08 | 59.3 | 2 |
| 2010s | 65.12 | 61.29 | 68.38 | 3 |
| 2020s | 71.34 | 71.34 | 71.34 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Burundi
More education data for Burundi
- Gender gap education levels, gaps filled 75.11 (2025)
- Primary enrollment selected countries, gaps filled 73.53 (2025)
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 27,748 (2025)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 646,726 (2020)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 115,798 (2025)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 117,464 (2025)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 590,027 (2025)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.52 million (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 4.06 % change on previous year (2020)
Frequently asked questions
- What is cross country literacy rates in Burundi?
- Cross country literacy rates in Burundi was 71.34 in 2020, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest cross country literacy rates recorded in Burundi?
- The highest recorded value was 71.34 in 2020.
- What is the lowest cross country literacy rates recorded in Burundi?
- The lowest recorded value was 22.51 in 1979.
- How does Burundi rank for cross country literacy rates?
- Burundi ranks 103rd out of 128 countries with data for 2020.
- Is cross country literacy rates rising or falling in Burundi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 48.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Burundi data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Cross country literacy rates. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 8 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).