Literacy rate in Namibia
Namibia: Literacy rate was 87.6% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
87.6%
World rank
81st
of 128 countries
All-time high
88.3%
in 2018
All-time low
75.8%
in 1991
Years of data
6
1991–2023
Literacy rate in Namibia, 1991–2023
Source: UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Namibia recorded 87.6% for literacy rate in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate in Namibia peaked at 88.3% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 75.8%, in 1991.
Namibia ranks 81st of 128 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Literacy rate in Namibia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 75.8% | — |
| 2001 | 84.9% | +12.0% |
| 2011 | 88.3% | +3.9% |
| 2016 | 88.1% | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 88.3% | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 87.6% | -0.7% |
Namibia compared with similar countries
- Namibia's 87.6% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 78.2%, 1.1× the median. (39 countries reporting)
- Namibia's 87.6% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 70.9%, 1.2× the median. (36 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 75.8% | 75.8% | 75.8% | 1 |
| 2000s | 84.9% | 84.9% | 84.9% | 1 |
| 2010s | 88.2% | 88.1% | 88.3% | 3 |
| 2020s | 87.6% | 87.6% | 87.6% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Namibia
More education data for Namibia
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 10,653 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 90,003 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 26,964 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 27,746 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 236,050 (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 590,029 (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 4.48 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1947 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate in Namibia?
- Literacy rate in Namibia was 87.6% 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 Namibia?
- The highest recorded value was 88.3% in 2018.
- What is the lowest literacy rate recorded in Namibia?
- The lowest recorded value was 75.8% in 1991.
- How does Namibia rank for literacy rate?
- Namibia ranks 81st out of 128 countries with data for 2023.
- Is literacy rate rising or falling in Namibia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Namibia 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 — 6 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.