Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa
SDG: Sub-saharan Africa: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes was 65.6% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa, 1984–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
SDG: Sub-saharan Africa recorded 65.6% for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes 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 9.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa peaked at 65.6% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 43.4%, in 1984.
SDG: Sub-saharan Africa ranks 164th 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 SDG: Sub-saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | 43.4% | — |
| 1985 | 43.9% | +1.1% |
| 1986 | 44.3% | +1.0% |
| 1987 | 45.1% | +1.7% |
| 1988 | 45.8% | +1.6% |
| 1989 | 46.4% | +1.4% |
| 1990 | 47.2% | +1.7% |
| 1991 | 47.7% | +1.0% |
| 1992 | 48.4% | +1.6% |
| 1993 | 49.1% | +1.5% |
| 1994 | 50.0% | +1.8% |
| 1995 | 50.5% | +1.0% |
| 1996 | 51.2% | +1.4% |
| 1997 | 52.1% | +1.7% |
| 1998 | 53.1% | +1.9% |
| 1999 | 54.0% | +1.7% |
| 2000 | 53.0% | -1.7% |
| 2001 | 53.9% | +1.7% |
| 2002 | 54.3% | +0.6% |
| 2003 | 55.0% | +1.3% |
| 2004 | 55.8% | +1.4% |
| 2005 | 55.4% | -0.7% |
| 2006 | 54.8% | -1.0% |
| 2007 | 54.3% | -1.0% |
| 2008 | 54.5% | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 55.0% | +0.8% |
| 2010 | 55.6% | +1.1% |
| 2011 | 57.3% | +3.0% |
| 2012 | 58.5% | +2.2% |
| 2013 | 59.4% | +1.5% |
| 2014 | 60.1% | +1.1% |
| 2015 | 60.7% | +1.1% |
| 2016 | 61.4% | +1.1% |
| 2017 | 61.7% | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 63.9% | +3.6% |
| 2019 | 64.6% | +1.1% |
| 2020 | 64.8% | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 64.7% | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 65.0% | +0.5% |
| 2023 | 65.3% | +0.5% |
| 2024 | 65.6% | +0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 44.8% | 43.4% | 46.4% | 6 |
| 1990s | 50.3% | 47.2% | 54.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 54.6% | 53.0% | 55.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 60.3% | 55.6% | 64.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 65.1% | 64.7% | 65.6% | 5 |
More education data for SDG: Sub-saharan Africa
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 191.30 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.31 % change on previous year (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 14.32 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.68 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 37.60 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 12.63 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 12.47 million (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 0.8202 % change on previous year (2024)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 4.94 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 97.68 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
- Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa was 65.6% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes recorded in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 65.6% in 2024.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes recorded in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 43.4% in 1984.
- How does SDG: Sub-saharan Africa rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes?
- SDG: Sub-saharan Africa ranks 164th out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes rising or falling in SDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this SDG: Sub-saharan Africa 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