Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in ECA: Sahel (unsdcode:98124)
ECA: Sahel (unsdcode:98124): Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes was 51.2% in 2021. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in ECA: Sahel (unsdcode:98124), 1985–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
ECA: Sahel (unsdcode:98124) recorded 51.2% for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in 2021.
That represents a change of up 0.4% on the previous year and up 10.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in ECA: Sahel (unsdcode:98124) peaked at 51.6% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 33.9%, in 1985.
ECA: Sahel (unsdcode:98124) ranks 200th 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: Sahel (unsdcode:98124), year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 33.9% | — |
| 1986 | 34.0% | +0.5% |
| 1987 | 34.9% | +2.4% |
| 1988 | 35.7% | +2.5% |
| 1989 | 36.6% | +2.5% |
| 1990 | 37.5% | +2.5% |
| 1991 | 38.5% | +2.5% |
| 1992 | 39.4% | +2.3% |
| 1993 | 40.3% | +2.4% |
| 1994 | 41.2% | +2.4% |
| 1995 | 42.0% | +1.9% |
| 1996 | 42.9% | +2.1% |
| 1997 | 43.9% | +2.3% |
| 1998 | 45.5% | +3.7% |
| 1999 | 46.6% | +2.3% |
| 2000 | 41.1% | -11.7% |
| 2001 | 42.4% | +3.2% |
| 2002 | 43.5% | +2.4% |
| 2003 | 44.3% | +1.9% |
| 2004 | 45.9% | +3.7% |
| 2005 | 46.4% | +1.1% |
| 2006 | 47.2% | +1.7% |
| 2007 | 43.2% | -8.4% |
| 2008 | 43.9% | +1.6% |
| 2009 | 45.1% | +2.6% |
| 2010 | 45.6% | +1.3% |
| 2011 | 46.6% | +2.0% |
| 2012 | 47.0% | +0.9% |
| 2013 | 47.9% | +1.8% |
| 2014 | 48.5% | +1.3% |
| 2015 | 49.4% | +1.8% |
| 2016 | 49.7% | +0.7% |
| 2017 | 50.8% | +2.1% |
| 2018 | 51.6% | +1.6% |
| 2019 | 51.1% | -1.0% |
| 2020 | 51.0% | -0.1% |
| 2021 | 51.2% | +0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 35.0% | 33.9% | 36.6% | 5 |
| 1990s | 41.8% | 37.5% | 46.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 44.3% | 41.1% | 47.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 48.8% | 45.6% | 51.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 51.1% | 51.0% | 51.2% | 2 |
More education data for ECA: Sahel (unsdcode:98124)
- Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general 95.8% (2024)
- Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general 95.2% (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female 11.94 million (2024)
- Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in vocational 4.2% (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male 12.32 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes 4.23 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes 1.56 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male 29.27 million (2024)
- School age population, upper secondary education, male 13.30 million (2024)
- School age population, upper secondary education, female 12.86 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in ECA: Sahel (unsdcode:98124)?
- Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in ECA: Sahel (unsdcode:98124) was 51.2% in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes recorded in ECA: Sahel (unsdcode:98124)?
- The highest recorded value was 51.6% in 2018.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes recorded in ECA: Sahel (unsdcode:98124)?
- The lowest recorded value was 33.9% in 1985.
- How does ECA: Sahel (unsdcode:98124) rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes?
- ECA: Sahel (unsdcode:98124) ranks 200th out of 203 groups with data for 2021.
- Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes rising or falling in ECA: Sahel (unsdcode:98124)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this ECA: Sahel (unsdcode:98124) 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