Literacy rate in Madagascar
Madagascar: Literacy rate was 74.7% in 2021. ▲ Rising
Latest (2021)
74.7%
Change on year
down 2.6%
World rank
98th
of 128 countries
All-time high
76.7%
in 2018
All-time low
32.5%
in 1950
Years of data
5
1950–2021
Literacy rate in Madagascar, 1950–2021
Source: UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Madagascar recorded 74.7% for literacy rate in 2021.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.6% on the previous year and up 4.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate in Madagascar peaked at 76.7% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 32.5%, in 1950.
That places Madagascar 98th out of 128 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Literacy rate in Madagascar, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 32.5% | — |
| 2000 | 70.7% | +117.5% |
| 2012 | 71.6% | +1.2% |
| 2018 | 76.7% | +7.1% |
| 2021 | 74.7% | -2.6% |
Madagascar compared with similar countries
- Madagascar's 74.7% is above the median for low income countries, which is 61.1%, 1.2× the median. (18 countries reporting)
- Madagascar's 74.7% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 70.9%, 1.1× the median. (36 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 32.5% | 32.5% | 32.5% | 1 |
| 2000s | 70.7% | 70.7% | 70.7% | 1 |
| 2010s | 74.1% | 71.6% | 76.7% | 2 |
| 2020s | 74.7% | 74.7% | 74.7% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Madagascar
More education data for Madagascar
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 78,148 (2019)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 1.09 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 507,363 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 544,966 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.62 million (2021)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 5.29 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 3.53 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1656 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate in Madagascar?
- Literacy rate in Madagascar was 74.7% in 2021, according to UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest literacy rate recorded in Madagascar?
- The highest recorded value was 76.7% in 2018.
- What is the lowest literacy rate recorded in Madagascar?
- The lowest recorded value was 32.5% in 1950.
- How does Madagascar rank for literacy rate?
- Madagascar ranks 98th out of 128 countries with data for 2021.
- Is literacy rate rising or falling in Madagascar?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Madagascar 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.