Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in Ethiopia
Ethiopia: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes was 51.1% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in Ethiopia, 1994–2022
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2022, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in Ethiopia stood at 51.1%. That is the highest value across all 7 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 12.1% on the previous year and up 31.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in Ethiopia peaked at 51.1% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 23.2%, in 1994.
Ethiopia ranks 78th of 87 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in Ethiopia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 23.2% | — |
| 2007 | 31.1% | +34.0% |
| 2013 | 38.8% | +25.0% |
| 2016 | 39.9% | +2.7% |
| 2019 | 45.4% | +13.8% |
| 2021 | 45.6% | +0.4% |
| 2022 | 51.1% | +12.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 23.2% | 23.2% | 23.2% | 1 |
| 2000s | 31.1% | 31.1% | 31.1% | 1 |
| 2010s | 41.4% | 38.8% | 45.4% | 3 |
| 2020s | 48.3% | 45.6% | 51.1% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Ethiopia
More education data for Ethiopia
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 900,151 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 2.32 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 2.16 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 5.03 million (2015)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 15.93 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 2.45 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1206 units per person (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in Ethiopia?
- Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in Ethiopia was 51.1% in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes recorded in Ethiopia?
- The highest recorded value was 51.1% in 2022.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes recorded in Ethiopia?
- The lowest recorded value was 23.2% in 1994.
- How does Ethiopia rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes?
- Ethiopia ranks 78th out of 87 countries with data for 2022.
- Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes rising or falling in Ethiopia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 31.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ethiopia 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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CSV · JSON — 7 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release