Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126)
ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126): Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes was 65.2% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126), 1984–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126) is 65.2%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 41 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.3% 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: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126) peaked at 65.2% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 43.7%, in 1984.
ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126) ranks 166th of 203 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 41 years of available data.
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126), year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | 43.7% | — |
| 1985 | 44.1% | +1.0% |
| 1986 | 44.6% | +1.0% |
| 1987 | 45.3% | +1.6% |
| 1988 | 46.0% | +1.5% |
| 1989 | 46.6% | +1.3% |
| 1990 | 47.4% | +1.6% |
| 1991 | 47.8% | +0.9% |
| 1992 | 48.5% | +1.5% |
| 1993 | 49.2% | +1.4% |
| 1994 | 50.0% | +1.7% |
| 1995 | 50.5% | +1.0% |
| 1996 | 51.3% | +1.4% |
| 1997 | 52.1% | +1.7% |
| 1998 | 53.1% | +1.9% |
| 1999 | 54.0% | +1.7% |
| 2000 | 53.2% | -1.5% |
| 2001 | 54.1% | +1.7% |
| 2002 | 54.5% | +0.7% |
| 2003 | 55.2% | +1.3% |
| 2004 | 56.0% | +1.4% |
| 2005 | 55.7% | -0.5% |
| 2006 | 54.6% | -2.0% |
| 2007 | 54.1% | -0.9% |
| 2008 | 54.3% | +0.5% |
| 2009 | 54.8% | +0.8% |
| 2010 | 55.4% | +1.1% |
| 2011 | 57.1% | +3.0% |
| 2012 | 58.3% | +2.1% |
| 2013 | 59.1% | +1.5% |
| 2014 | 59.8% | +1.1% |
| 2015 | 60.5% | +1.1% |
| 2016 | 61.1% | +1.1% |
| 2017 | 61.5% | +0.6% |
| 2018 | 63.6% | +3.5% |
| 2019 | 64.3% | +1.1% |
| 2020 | 64.5% | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 64.4% | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 64.7% | +0.5% |
| 2023 | 65.0% | +0.4% |
| 2024 | 65.2% | +0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 45.1% | 43.7% | 46.6% | 6 |
| 1990s | 50.4% | 47.4% | 54.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 54.6% | 53.2% | 56.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 60.1% | 55.4% | 64.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 64.8% | 64.4% | 65.2% | 5 |
More education data for ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 5.89 million (2021)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 38.99 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.61 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 42.27 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.26 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 26.34 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 1.59 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number) 3.52 % change on previous year (2021)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 3.88 % change on previous year (2021)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 2.59 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126)?
- Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126) was 65.2% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes recorded in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126)?
- The highest recorded value was 65.2% in 2024.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes recorded in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126)?
- The lowest recorded value was 43.7% in 1984.
- How does ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126) rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes?
- ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126) ranks 166th out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes rising or falling in ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this ECA: Sub-saharan Africa (unsdcode:98126) 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