Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, adjusted gender parity index in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa
SDG: Sub-saharan Africa: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, adjusted gender parity index was 0.8 GPIA in 2024. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, adjusted gender parity index in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa, 1984–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in GPIA.
Analysis
The most recent figure for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, adjusted gender parity index in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa is 0.8 GPIA, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 41 years on record.
The figure is up 1.3% on the previous year and up 8.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, adjusted gender parity index in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa peaked at 0.8 GPIA in 2024 and was at its lowest, 0.56 GPIA, in 1984.
That places SDG: Sub-saharan Africa 145th out of 203 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 41 years of available data.
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, adjusted gender parity index in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | GPIA | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | 0.56 GPIA | — |
| 1985 | 0.56 GPIA | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 0.57 GPIA | +1.8% |
| 1987 | 0.57 GPIA | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 0.58 GPIA | +1.8% |
| 1989 | 0.58 GPIA | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 0.59 GPIA | +1.7% |
| 1991 | 0.59 GPIA | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 0.6 GPIA | +1.7% |
| 1993 | 0.6 GPIA | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 0.61 GPIA | +1.7% |
| 1995 | 0.62 GPIA | +1.6% |
| 1996 | 0.63 GPIA | +1.6% |
| 1997 | 0.64 GPIA | +1.6% |
| 1998 | 0.65 GPIA | +1.6% |
| 1999 | 0.66 GPIA | +1.5% |
| 2000 | 0.65 GPIA | -1.5% |
| 2001 | 0.66 GPIA | +1.5% |
| 2002 | 0.66 GPIA | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 0.67 GPIA | +1.5% |
| 2004 | 0.67 GPIA | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 0.67 GPIA | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 0.67 GPIA | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 0.68 GPIA | +1.5% |
| 2008 | 0.69 GPIA | +1.5% |
| 2009 | 0.69 GPIA | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 0.7 GPIA | +1.4% |
| 2011 | 0.71 GPIA | +1.4% |
| 2012 | 0.72 GPIA | +1.4% |
| 2013 | 0.73 GPIA | +1.4% |
| 2014 | 0.74 GPIA | +1.4% |
| 2015 | 0.74 GPIA | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 0.75 GPIA | +1.4% |
| 2017 | 0.76 GPIA | +1.3% |
| 2018 | 0.77 GPIA | +1.3% |
| 2019 | 0.78 GPIA | +1.3% |
| 2020 | 0.78 GPIA | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 0.78 GPIA | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 0.79 GPIA | +1.3% |
| 2023 | 0.79 GPIA | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 0.8 GPIA | +1.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.57 GPIA | 0.56 GPIA | 0.58 GPIA | 6 |
| 1990s | 0.619 GPIA | 0.59 GPIA | 0.66 GPIA | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.671 GPIA | 0.65 GPIA | 0.69 GPIA | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.74 GPIA | 0.7 GPIA | 0.78 GPIA | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.788 GPIA | 0.78 GPIA | 0.8 GPIA | 5 |
More education data for SDG: Sub-saharan Africa
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 191.30 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.31 % change on previous year (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 14.32 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.68 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 37.60 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 12.63 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 12.47 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 0.8202 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 4.94 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 97.68 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, adjusted gender parity index in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
- Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, adjusted gender parity index in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa was 0.8 GPIA in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, adjusted gender parity index recorded in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 0.8 GPIA in 2024.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, adjusted gender parity index recorded in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.56 GPIA in 1984.
- How does SDG: Sub-saharan Africa rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, adjusted gender parity index?
- SDG: Sub-saharan Africa ranks 145th out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, adjusted gender parity index rising or falling in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this SDG: Sub-saharan Africa data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, adjusted gender parity index (GPIA). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 41 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release