Literacy rate in Senegal
Senegal: Literacy rate was 50.4% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate in Senegal, 1950–2023
Source: UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for literacy rate in Senegal is 50.4%, measured in 2023.
The figure is up 15.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate in Senegal peaked at 51.9% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 3.0%, in 1950.
That places Senegal 119th 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.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 3.0% | 3.0% | 3.0% | 1 |
| 1980s | 26.9% | 26.9% | 26.9% | 1 |
| 2000s | 43.1% | 39.3% | 48.0% | 3 |
| 2010s | 47.2% | 43.5% | 51.9% | 7 |
| 2020s | 50.4% | 50.4% | 50.4% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Senegal
- 116 Pakistan 58.9% compare
- 117 Gambia 51.6% compare
- 118 Benin 51.4% compare
- 120 Cote d'Ivoire 50.0% compare
- 121 Sierra Leone 43.6% compare
- 122 Central African Republic 42.4% compare
More education data for Senegal
- Duration of pre-primary education 3 years (2025)
- Official entrance age to pre-primary education 3 years (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 58.6% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 37.7% (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age 12 years (2025)
- Primary school starting age 6 years (2025)
- School enrollment, primary 85.3% (2024)
- Primary education, teachers 72,089 (2024)
- Fertility rate vs. average years of schooling 3.77 live births per woman (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, female 96.1% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate in Senegal?
- Literacy rate in Senegal was 50.4% 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 Senegal?
- The highest recorded value was 51.9% in 2017.
- What is the lowest literacy rate recorded in Senegal?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.0% in 1950.
- How does Senegal rank for literacy rate?
- Senegal ranks 119th out of 128 countries with data for 2023.
- Is literacy rate rising or falling in Senegal?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Senegal 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 — 13 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.