Literacy rate, adult total in Burundi
Burundi: Literacy rate, adult total was 71.3% in 2020. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, adult total in Burundi, 1979–2020
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of people ages 15 and above.
Analysis
Burundi recorded 71.3% for literacy rate, adult total in 2020. That is the highest value across all 8 years on record.
That represents a change of up 4.3% on the previous year and up 48.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, adult total in Burundi peaked at 71.3% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 22.5%, in 1979.
That places Burundi 70th out of 89 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Literacy rate, adult total in Burundi, year by year
| Year | % of people ages 15 and above | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 22.5% | — |
| 1990 | 37.4% | +66.1% |
| 2000 | 59.3% | +58.6% |
| 2008 | 48.1% | -18.9% |
| 2014 | 61.3% | +27.5% |
| 2016 | 65.7% | +7.2% |
| 2017 | 68.4% | +4.1% |
| 2020 | 71.3% | +4.3% |
Burundi compared with similar countries
- Burundi's 71.3% is above the median for low income countries, which is 60.5%, 1.2× the median. (13 countries reporting)
- Burundi's 71.3% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 70.9%, 1.0× the median. (28 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 22.5% | 22.5% | 22.5% | 1 |
| 1990s | 37.4% | 37.4% | 37.4% | 1 |
| 2000s | 53.7% | 48.1% | 59.3% | 2 |
| 2010s | 65.1% | 61.3% | 68.4% | 3 |
| 2020s | 71.3% | 71.3% | 71.3% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Burundi
More education data for Burundi
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 27,748 (2025)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 646,726 (2020)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 115,798 (2025)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 117,464 (2025)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 590,027 (2025)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.52 million (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 4.06 % change on previous year (2020)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0007 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1748 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, adult total in Burundi?
- Literacy rate, adult total in Burundi was 71.3% in 2020, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest literacy rate, adult total recorded in Burundi?
- The highest recorded value was 71.3% in 2020.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, adult total recorded in Burundi?
- The lowest recorded value was 22.5% in 1979.
- How does Burundi rank for literacy rate, adult total?
- Burundi ranks 70th out of 89 countries with data for 2020.
- Is literacy rate, adult total rising or falling in Burundi?
- Over the last ten years it is up 48.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Burundi data come from?
- The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Literacy rate, adult total (% of people 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.