Literacy rate in Rwanda
Rwanda: Literacy rate was 78.8% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Latest (2022)
78.8%
Change on year
down 1.6%
World rank
90th
of 128 countries
All-time high
80.0%
in 2020
All-time low
7.5%
in 1950
Years of data
9
1950–2022
Literacy rate in Rwanda, 1950–2022
Source: UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Rwanda recorded 78.8% for literacy rate in 2022.
The figure is down 1.6% on the previous year and up 15.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate in Rwanda peaked at 80.0% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 7.5%, in 1950.
Rwanda ranks 90th of 128 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 7.5% | 7.5% | 7.5% | 1 |
| 1970s | 38.2% | 38.2% | 38.2% | 1 |
| 1990s | 57.9% | 57.9% | 57.9% | 1 |
| 2000s | 64.9% | 64.9% | 64.9% | 1 |
| 2010s | 70.8% | 68.3% | 73.2% | 3 |
| 2020s | 79.4% | 78.8% | 80.0% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Rwanda
More education data for Rwanda
- Duration of pre-primary education 3 years (2025)
- Official entrance age to pre-primary education 3 years (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age 12 years (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 37.0% (2025)
- Primary school starting age 6 years (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 59.0% (2025)
- School enrollment, primary 149.6% (2024)
- Primary education, teachers 68,326 (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. average years of schooling 3.65 live births per woman (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, female 146.7% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate in Rwanda?
- Literacy rate in Rwanda was 78.8% 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 Rwanda?
- The highest recorded value was 80.0% in 2020.
- What is the lowest literacy rate recorded in Rwanda?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.5% in 1950.
- How does Rwanda rank for literacy rate?
- Rwanda ranks 90th out of 128 countries with data for 2022.
- Is literacy rate rising or falling in Rwanda?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Rwanda 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.