Literacy rate, adult male in Senegal
Senegal: Literacy rate, adult male was 61.5% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, adult male in Senegal, 1988–2023
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of males ages 15 and above.
Analysis
Senegal recorded 61.5% for literacy rate, adult male in 2023.
That represents a change of up 14.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, adult male in Senegal peaked at 66.0% in 2011 and was at its lowest, 36.9%, in 1988.
Senegal ranks 81st of 88 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 12 years of available data.
Literacy rate, adult male in Senegal, year by year
| Year | % of males ages 15 and above | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 36.9% | — |
| 2002 | 51.0% | +38.3% |
| 2006 | 52.3% | +2.4% |
| 2009 | 59.8% | +14.4% |
| 2011 | 66.0% | +10.5% |
| 2013 | 53.9% | -18.4% |
| 2015 | 54.2% | +0.5% |
| 2016 | 56.8% | +4.9% |
| 2017 | 64.8% | +14.1% |
| 2018 | 54.5% | -16.0% |
| 2019 | 57.5% | +5.5% |
| 2023 | 61.5% | +7.0% |
Senegal compared with similar countries
- Senegal's 61.5% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 83.7%, 73% of the median. (30 countries reporting)
- Senegal's 61.5% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 79.2%, 78% of the median. (28 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 36.9% | 36.9% | 36.9% | 1 |
| 2000s | 54.4% | 51.0% | 59.8% | 3 |
| 2010s | 58.2% | 53.9% | 66.0% | 7 |
| 2020s | 61.5% | 61.5% | 61.5% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Senegal
- 78 Pakistan 69.1% compare
- 79 Cote d'Ivoire 68.0% compare
- 80 Benin 62.6% compare
- 82 Sierra Leone 54.6% compare
- 83 Guinea 54.4% compare
- 84 Afghanistan 52.1% compare
More education data for Senegal
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 55,703 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 64,252 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 162,919 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 181,550 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.28 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.35 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.4401 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.127 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, adult male in Senegal?
- Literacy rate, adult male in Senegal was 61.5% in 2023, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest literacy rate, adult male recorded in Senegal?
- The highest recorded value was 66.0% in 2011.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, adult male recorded in Senegal?
- The lowest recorded value was 36.9% in 1988.
- How does Senegal rank for literacy rate, adult male?
- Senegal ranks 81st out of 88 countries with data for 2023.
- Is literacy rate, adult male rising or falling in Senegal?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Senegal 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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About this data
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.