Literacy rate, adult male in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Literacy rate, adult male was 54.6% in 2019. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, adult male in Sierra Leone, 2004–2019
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of males ages 15 and above.
Analysis
Sierra Leone recorded 54.6% for literacy rate, adult male in 2019.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 6.3% on the previous year and up 17.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, adult male in Sierra Leone peaked at 59.0% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 46.6%, in 2004.
That places Sierra Leone 82nd out of 88 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Literacy rate, adult male in Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | % of males ages 15 and above | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | 46.6% | — |
| 2015 | 59.0% | +26.5% |
| 2017 | 54.8% | -7.1% |
| 2018 | 58.3% | +6.3% |
| 2019 | 54.6% | -6.3% |
Sierra Leone compared with similar countries
- Sierra Leone's 54.6% is below the median for low income countries, which is 71.0%, 77% of the median. (13 countries reporting)
- Sierra Leone's 54.6% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 79.2%, 69% of the median. (28 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 46.6% | 46.6% | 46.6% | 1 |
| 2010s | 56.7% | 54.6% | 59.0% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
- 79 Cote d'Ivoire 68.0% compare
- 80 Benin 62.6% compare
- 81 Senegal 61.5% compare
- 83 Guinea 54.4% compare
- 84 Afghanistan 52.1% compare
- 85 Burkina Faso 48.7% compare
More education data for Sierra Leone
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 38,043 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 73,295 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 85,708 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 92,723 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.16 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.07 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 2.52 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.2393 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, adult male in Sierra Leone?
- Literacy rate, adult male in Sierra Leone was 54.6% in 2019, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest literacy rate, adult male recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 59.0% in 2015.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, adult male recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 46.6% in 2004.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for literacy rate, adult male?
- Sierra Leone ranks 82nd out of 88 countries with data for 2019.
- Is literacy rate, adult male rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is up 17.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sierra Leone 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.