Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in ECA: East Africa (unsdcode:98102)
ECA: East Africa (unsdcode:98102): Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes was 66.6% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in ECA: East Africa (unsdcode:98102), 1988–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in ECA: East Africa (unsdcode:98102) is 66.6%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 37 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.5% on the previous year and up 9.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in ECA: East Africa (unsdcode:98102) peaked at 66.6% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 45.2%, in 1988.
ECA: East Africa (unsdcode:98102) ranks 160th of 203 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 37 years of available data.
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in ECA: East Africa (unsdcode:98102), year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 45.2% | — |
| 1989 | 45.7% | +1.2% |
| 1990 | 46.5% | +1.6% |
| 1991 | 47.2% | +1.6% |
| 1992 | 47.9% | +1.4% |
| 1993 | 48.5% | +1.5% |
| 1994 | 49.3% | +1.5% |
| 1995 | 50.1% | +1.6% |
| 1996 | 50.8% | +1.5% |
| 1997 | 51.9% | +2.0% |
| 1998 | 52.5% | +1.3% |
| 1999 | 53.5% | +1.8% |
| 2000 | 54.3% | +1.5% |
| 2001 | 55.0% | +1.4% |
| 2002 | 54.3% | -1.4% |
| 2003 | 55.0% | +1.4% |
| 2004 | 54.9% | -0.2% |
| 2005 | 53.7% | -2.1% |
| 2006 | 51.7% | -3.7% |
| 2007 | 53.4% | +3.2% |
| 2008 | 53.2% | -0.3% |
| 2009 | 53.5% | +0.6% |
| 2010 | 54.1% | +1.1% |
| 2011 | 57.0% | +5.4% |
| 2012 | 59.4% | +4.2% |
| 2013 | 60.5% | +1.8% |
| 2014 | 61.1% | +1.0% |
| 2015 | 61.8% | +1.2% |
| 2016 | 62.6% | +1.3% |
| 2017 | 63.8% | +1.8% |
| 2018 | 64.3% | +0.8% |
| 2019 | 64.6% | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 65.0% | +0.5% |
| 2021 | 65.4% | +0.7% |
| 2022 | 65.8% | +0.6% |
| 2023 | 66.2% | +0.6% |
| 2024 | 66.6% | +0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 45.5% | 45.2% | 45.7% | 2 |
| 1990s | 49.8% | 46.5% | 53.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 53.9% | 51.7% | 55.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 60.9% | 54.1% | 64.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 65.8% | 65.0% | 66.6% | 5 |
More education data for ECA: East Africa (unsdcode:98102)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 1.98 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 1.74 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 12.59 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 3.43 % change on previous year (2022)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 14.95 million (2022)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 3.58 % change on previous year (2022)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 12.51 million (2022)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 0.9236 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.29 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 41.20 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in ECA: East Africa (unsdcode:98102)?
- Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in ECA: East Africa (unsdcode:98102) was 66.6% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes recorded in ECA: East Africa (unsdcode:98102)?
- The highest recorded value was 66.6% in 2024.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes recorded in ECA: East Africa (unsdcode:98102)?
- The lowest recorded value was 45.2% in 1988.
- How does ECA: East Africa (unsdcode:98102) rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes?
- ECA: East Africa (unsdcode:98102) ranks 160th out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes rising or falling in ECA: East Africa (unsdcode:98102)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this ECA: East Africa (unsdcode:98102) data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release