Literacy rate, adult total in Guinea

Guinea: Literacy rate, adult total was 39.6% in 2018. ▲ Rising

Latest (2018)
39.6%
World rank
85th
of 89 countries
All-time high
39.6%
in 2018
All-time low
20.6%
in 1996
Years of data
5
1996–2018

Literacy rate, adult total in Guinea, 1996–2018

0102030401996200720181996: 20.6 % of people ages 15 and above2003: 29.7 % of people ages 15 and above2010: 25.3 % of people ages 15 and above2014: 32 % of people ages 15 and above2018: 39.6 % of people ages 15 and above

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

Analysis

In 2018, literacy rate, adult total in Guinea stood at 39.6%. That is the highest value across all 5 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 56.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, literacy rate, adult total in Guinea peaked at 39.6% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 20.6%, in 1996.

Guinea ranks 85th of 89 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

Literacy rate, adult total in Guinea, year by year

Annual values for Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above) in Guinea, 1996 to 2018.
Year % of people ages 15 and above Change
1996 20.6%
2003 29.7% +44.5%
2010 25.3% -14.8%
2014 32.0% +26.4%
2018 39.6% +23.8%

Guinea compared with similar countries

  • Guinea's 39.6% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 78.2%, 51% of the median. (31 countries reporting)
  • Guinea's 39.6% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 70.9%, 56% of the median. (28 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 20.6% 20.6% 20.6% 1
2000s 29.7% 29.7% 29.7% 1
2010s 32.3% 25.3% 39.6% 3

Countries ranked near Guinea

  1. 82 Côte d'Ivoire 50.0% compare
  2. 83 Sierra Leone 43.6% compare
  3. 84 Burkina Faso 41.6% compare
  4. 86 Afghanistan 37.3% compare
  5. 87 Mali 35.6% compare
  6. 88 Niger 35.6% compare

See the full ranking of 128 places →

More education data for Guinea

All data for Guinea →

Frequently asked questions

What is literacy rate, adult total in Guinea?
Literacy rate, adult total in Guinea was 39.6% in 2018, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
What is the highest literacy rate, adult total recorded in Guinea?
The highest recorded value was 39.6% in 2018.
What is the lowest literacy rate, adult total recorded in Guinea?
The lowest recorded value was 20.6% in 1996.
How does Guinea rank for literacy rate, adult total?
Guinea ranks 85th out of 89 countries with data for 2018.
Is literacy rate, adult total rising or falling in Guinea?
Over the last ten years it is up 56.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Guinea 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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Literacy rate, adult total in Guinea. Statizoid, drawing on Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 16 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/literacy-rate-adult-total-percent-of-people-ages-15-and-above/guinea/

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About this data

Indicator
Literacy rate, adult total (% of people ages 15 and above)
Unit
% of people ages 15 and above
Source
Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
128 places, 2,592 data points, 1973–2024
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.