Literacy rate, adult male in Benin

Benin: Literacy rate, adult male was 62.6% in 2022. ▲ Rising

Latest (2022)
62.6%
Change on year
up 10.9%
World rank
80th
of 88 countries
All-time high
62.6%
in 2022
All-time low
25.2%
in 1979
Years of data
9
1979–2022

Literacy rate, adult male in Benin, 1979–2022

02040601979200020221979: 25.2 % of males ages 15 and above1992: 39.9 % of males ages 15 and above2002: 47.9 % of males ages 15 and above2011: 47.2 % of males ages 15 and above2013: 56.8 % of males ages 15 and above2017: 51 % of males ages 15 and above2019: 61.4 % of males ages 15 and above2021: 56.5 % of males ages 15 and above2022: 62.6 % of males ages 15 and above

Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of males ages 15 and above.

Analysis

The most recent figure for literacy rate, adult male in Benin is 62.6%, measured in 2022. That is the highest value across all 9 years on record.

That represents a change of up 10.9% on the previous year and up 32.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, literacy rate, adult male in Benin peaked at 62.6% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 25.2%, in 1979.

Benin ranks 80th of 88 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

Literacy rate, adult male in Benin, year by year

Annual values for Literacy rate, adult male (% of males ages 15 and above) in Benin, 1979 to 2022.
Year % of males ages 15 and above Change
1979 25.2%
1992 39.9% +58.4%
2002 47.9% +20.0%
2011 47.2% -1.4%
2013 56.8% +20.3%
2017 51.0% -10.1%
2019 61.4% +20.3%
2021 56.5% -8.1%
2022 62.6% +10.9%

Benin compared with similar countries

  • Benin's 62.6% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 83.7%, 75% of the median. (30 countries reporting)
  • Benin's 62.6% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 79.2%, 79% of the median. (28 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 25.2% 25.2% 25.2% 1
1990s 39.9% 39.9% 39.9% 1
2000s 47.9% 47.9% 47.9% 1
2010s 54.1% 47.2% 61.4% 4
2020s 59.5% 56.5% 62.6% 2

Countries ranked near Benin

  1. 77 Ethiopia 71.0% compare
  2. 78 Pakistan 69.1% compare
  3. 79 Cote d'Ivoire 68.0% compare
  4. 81 Senegal 61.5% compare
  5. 82 Sierra Leone 54.6% compare
  6. 83 Guinea 54.4% compare

See the full ranking of 127 places →

More education data for Benin

All data for Benin →

Frequently asked questions

What is literacy rate, adult male in Benin?
Literacy rate, adult male in Benin was 62.6% in 2022, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
What is the highest literacy rate, adult male recorded in Benin?
The highest recorded value was 62.6% in 2022.
What is the lowest literacy rate, adult male recorded in Benin?
The lowest recorded value was 25.2% in 1979.
How does Benin rank for literacy rate, adult male?
Benin ranks 80th out of 88 countries with data for 2022.
Is literacy rate, adult male rising or falling in Benin?
Over the last ten years it is up 32.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Benin data come from?
The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Literacy rate, adult male (% of males ages 15 and above). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Literacy rate, adult male in Benin. Statizoid, drawing on Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 18 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/literacy-rate-adult-male-percent-of-males-ages-15-and-above/benin/

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About this data

Indicator
Literacy rate, adult male (% of males ages 15 and above)
Unit
% of males ages 15 and above
Source
Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
127 places, 2,578 data points, 1974–2024
Last refreshed

Adult literacy rate is the percentage of people ages 15 and above who can both read and write with understanding a short simple statement about their everyday life.