Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in ECA: Ecowas (unsdcode:98108)
ECA: Ecowas (unsdcode:98108): Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes was 56.6% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in ECA: Ecowas (unsdcode:98108), 1985–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in ECA: Ecowas (unsdcode:98108) is 56.6%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 40 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.3% on the previous year and up 15.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in ECA: Ecowas (unsdcode:98108) peaked at 56.6% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 34.1%, in 1985.
That places ECA: Ecowas (unsdcode:98108) 194th out of 203 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 40 years of available data.
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in ECA: Ecowas (unsdcode:98108), year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 34.1% | — |
| 1986 | 34.3% | +0.5% |
| 1987 | 35.0% | +2.2% |
| 1988 | 35.8% | +2.3% |
| 1989 | 36.6% | +2.3% |
| 1990 | 37.4% | +2.2% |
| 1991 | 38.2% | +2.2% |
| 1992 | 39.0% | +2.1% |
| 1993 | 39.9% | +2.2% |
| 1994 | 40.7% | +2.0% |
| 1995 | 41.0% | +0.8% |
| 1996 | 41.9% | +2.2% |
| 1997 | 42.9% | +2.2% |
| 1998 | 44.0% | +2.6% |
| 1999 | 45.0% | +2.3% |
| 2000 | 41.3% | -8.2% |
| 2001 | 42.5% | +3.0% |
| 2002 | 43.5% | +2.2% |
| 2003 | 44.4% | +2.2% |
| 2004 | 45.9% | +3.4% |
| 2005 | 46.5% | +1.2% |
| 2006 | 47.2% | +1.6% |
| 2007 | 44.4% | -5.9% |
| 2008 | 45.1% | +1.6% |
| 2009 | 45.1% | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 45.8% | +1.4% |
| 2011 | 46.9% | +2.4% |
| 2012 | 47.6% | +1.6% |
| 2013 | 48.4% | +1.7% |
| 2014 | 49.1% | +1.4% |
| 2015 | 50.0% | +1.7% |
| 2016 | 50.5% | +1.0% |
| 2017 | 51.5% | +2.0% |
| 2018 | 56.1% | +9.0% |
| 2019 | 55.8% | -0.6% |
| 2020 | 55.8% | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 56.0% | +0.4% |
| 2022 | 56.2% | +0.4% |
| 2023 | 56.5% | +0.4% |
| 2024 | 56.6% | +0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 35.2% | 34.1% | 36.6% | 5 |
| 1990s | 41.0% | 37.4% | 45.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 44.6% | 41.3% | 47.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 50.2% | 45.8% | 56.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 56.2% | 55.8% | 56.6% | 5 |
More education data for ECA: Ecowas (unsdcode:98108)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes 31.31 million (2024)
- Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general 96.0% (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female 15.44 million (2024)
- Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in vocational 3.6% (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male 15.86 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes 6.60 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes 1.82 million (2023)
- School age population, upper secondary education, female 14.51 million (2024)
- School age population, upper secondary education, both sexes 29.54 million (2024)
- School age population, upper secondary education, male 15.03 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in ECA: Ecowas (unsdcode:98108)?
- Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in ECA: Ecowas (unsdcode:98108) was 56.6% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes recorded in ECA: Ecowas (unsdcode:98108)?
- The highest recorded value was 56.6% in 2024.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes recorded in ECA: Ecowas (unsdcode:98108)?
- The lowest recorded value was 34.1% in 1985.
- How does ECA: Ecowas (unsdcode:98108) rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes?
- ECA: Ecowas (unsdcode:98108) ranks 194th out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes rising or falling in ECA: Ecowas (unsdcode:98108)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 15.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this ECA: Ecowas (unsdcode:98108) 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