Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in Namibia
Namibia: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes was 88.8% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
88.8%
World rank
53rd
of 87 countries
All-time high
89.6%
in 2018
All-time low
73.4%
in 1991
Years of data
6
1991–2023
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in Namibia, 1991–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Namibia recorded 88.8% for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in Namibia peaked at 89.6% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 73.4%, in 1991.
Namibia ranks 53rd of 87 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in Namibia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 73.4% | — |
| 2001 | 84.8% | +15.6% |
| 2011 | 89.3% | +5.3% |
| 2016 | 89.1% | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 89.6% | +0.6% |
| 2023 | 88.8% | -0.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 73.4% | 73.4% | 73.4% | 1 |
| 2000s | 84.8% | 84.8% | 84.8% | 1 |
| 2010s | 89.4% | 89.1% | 89.6% | 3 |
| 2020s | 88.8% | 88.8% | 88.8% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Namibia
More education data for Namibia
- Start of the academic school year (tertiary education), gaps filled 2,022 tertiary education (2022)
- Start of the academic school year (tertiary education), annual growth 0.0495 % change on previous year (2020)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 21,240 (2024)
- Duration of pre primary education, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Duration of pre primary education 2 (2025)
- Official entrance age to pre primary education 5 (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 59.6% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 36.7% (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age 14 years (2025)
- Primary school starting age 7 years (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in Namibia?
- Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in Namibia was 88.8% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes recorded in Namibia?
- The highest recorded value was 89.6% in 2018.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes recorded in Namibia?
- The lowest recorded value was 73.4% in 1991.
- How does Namibia rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes?
- Namibia ranks 53rd out of 87 countries with data for 2023.
- Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes rising or falling in Namibia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Namibia 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 6 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release