Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in GPE: Sub-saharan Africa Wb Fy24, December 2024
GPE: Sub-saharan Africa Wb Fy24, December 2024: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes was 62.9% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in GPE: Sub-saharan Africa Wb Fy24, December 2024, 1986–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in GPE: Sub-saharan Africa Wb Fy24, December 2024 stood at 62.9%. That is the highest value across all 39 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.4% on the previous year and up 11.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in GPE: Sub-saharan Africa Wb Fy24, December 2024 peaked at 62.9% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 41.0%, in 1986.
GPE: Sub-saharan Africa Wb Fy24, December 2024 ranks 180th of 203 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 39 years of available data.
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in GPE: Sub-saharan Africa Wb Fy24, December 2024, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | 41.0% | — |
| 1987 | 41.7% | +1.6% |
| 1988 | 42.4% | +1.6% |
| 1989 | 42.9% | +1.3% |
| 1990 | 43.7% | +1.8% |
| 1991 | 44.5% | +1.8% |
| 1992 | 45.1% | +1.6% |
| 1993 | 45.9% | +1.6% |
| 1994 | 46.6% | +1.5% |
| 1995 | 47.2% | +1.4% |
| 1996 | 48.0% | +1.6% |
| 1997 | 49.0% | +2.1% |
| 1998 | 50.0% | +2.0% |
| 1999 | 51.0% | +1.9% |
| 2000 | 50.0% | -1.9% |
| 2001 | 50.9% | +1.9% |
| 2002 | 51.3% | +0.7% |
| 2003 | 52.0% | +1.4% |
| 2004 | 52.7% | +1.3% |
| 2005 | 52.3% | -0.7% |
| 2006 | 51.1% | -2.3% |
| 2007 | 50.6% | -1.1% |
| 2008 | 50.8% | +0.5% |
| 2009 | 51.1% | +0.6% |
| 2010 | 51.8% | +1.3% |
| 2011 | 53.5% | +3.4% |
| 2012 | 54.9% | +2.4% |
| 2013 | 55.8% | +1.7% |
| 2014 | 56.5% | +1.3% |
| 2015 | 57.2% | +1.2% |
| 2016 | 57.9% | +1.2% |
| 2017 | 59.0% | +1.9% |
| 2018 | 61.3% | +3.9% |
| 2019 | 61.4% | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 61.6% | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 62.0% | +0.6% |
| 2022 | 62.3% | +0.5% |
| 2023 | 62.6% | +0.5% |
| 2024 | 62.9% | +0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 42.0% | 41.0% | 42.9% | 4 |
| 1990s | 47.1% | 43.7% | 51.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 51.3% | 50.0% | 52.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 56.9% | 51.8% | 61.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 62.3% | 61.6% | 62.9% | 5 |
More education data for GPE: Sub-saharan Africa Wb Fy24, December 2024
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 1.49 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 1.34 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 4.79 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 0.8454 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 35.82 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.54 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 39.26 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.16 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 25.27 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 5.38 million (2021)
All data for GPE: Sub-saharan Africa Wb Fy24, December 2024 →
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in GPE: Sub-saharan Africa Wb Fy24, December 2024?
- Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in GPE: Sub-saharan Africa Wb Fy24, December 2024 was 62.9% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes recorded in GPE: Sub-saharan Africa Wb Fy24, December 2024?
- The highest recorded value was 62.9% in 2024.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes recorded in GPE: Sub-saharan Africa Wb Fy24, December 2024?
- The lowest recorded value was 41.0% in 1986.
- How does GPE: Sub-saharan Africa Wb Fy24, December 2024 rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes?
- GPE: Sub-saharan Africa Wb Fy24, December 2024 ranks 180th out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes rising or falling in GPE: Sub-saharan Africa Wb Fy24, December 2024?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this GPE: Sub-saharan Africa Wb Fy24, December 2024 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