Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in UNICEF: West and Central Africa
UNICEF: West and Central Africa: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes was 60.8% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in UNICEF: West and Central Africa, 1985–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in UNICEF: West and Central Africa stood at 60.8%. That is the highest value across all 40 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.3% on the previous year and up 12.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in UNICEF: West and Central Africa peaked at 60.8% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 38.8%, in 1985.
UNICEF: West and Central Africa ranks 186th of 203 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 40 years of available data.
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in UNICEF: West and Central Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 38.8% | — |
| 1986 | 39.0% | +0.7% |
| 1987 | 39.7% | +1.7% |
| 1988 | 40.4% | +1.8% |
| 1989 | 41.1% | +1.8% |
| 1990 | 41.9% | +1.8% |
| 1991 | 42.6% | +1.8% |
| 1992 | 43.3% | +1.6% |
| 1993 | 44.1% | +1.8% |
| 1994 | 44.8% | +1.7% |
| 1995 | 45.3% | +1.1% |
| 1996 | 46.0% | +1.5% |
| 1997 | 46.9% | +2.0% |
| 1998 | 48.1% | +2.6% |
| 1999 | 49.1% | +2.1% |
| 2000 | 46.6% | -5.1% |
| 2001 | 47.8% | +2.4% |
| 2002 | 48.6% | +1.9% |
| 2003 | 49.4% | +1.6% |
| 2004 | 50.7% | +2.6% |
| 2005 | 50.9% | +0.5% |
| 2006 | 50.0% | -1.8% |
| 2007 | 47.9% | -4.2% |
| 2008 | 48.5% | +1.3% |
| 2009 | 48.7% | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 49.2% | +1.2% |
| 2011 | 52.0% | +5.6% |
| 2012 | 52.5% | +0.9% |
| 2013 | 53.2% | +1.4% |
| 2014 | 53.9% | +1.3% |
| 2015 | 54.7% | +1.5% |
| 2016 | 55.1% | +0.8% |
| 2017 | 56.1% | +1.7% |
| 2018 | 59.6% | +6.3% |
| 2019 | 59.5% | -0.2% |
| 2020 | 59.7% | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 60.0% | +0.5% |
| 2022 | 60.3% | +0.5% |
| 2023 | 60.5% | +0.5% |
| 2024 | 60.8% | +0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 39.8% | 38.8% | 41.1% | 5 |
| 1990s | 45.2% | 41.9% | 49.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 48.9% | 46.6% | 50.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 54.6% | 49.2% | 59.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 60.2% | 59.7% | 60.8% | 5 |
More education data for UNICEF: West and Central Africa
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number) 4.92 % change on previous year (2021)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 20.41 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 0.9224 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 22.91 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 0.5411 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 8.34 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 0.9535 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 5.20 million (2021)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 1.46 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 5.73 % change on previous year (2021)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in UNICEF: West and Central Africa?
- Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes in UNICEF: West and Central Africa was 60.8% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes recorded in UNICEF: West and Central Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 60.8% in 2024.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes recorded in UNICEF: West and Central Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 38.8% in 1985.
- How does UNICEF: West and Central Africa rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes?
- UNICEF: West and Central Africa ranks 186th out of 203 groups with data for 2024.
- Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, both sexes rising or falling in UNICEF: West and Central Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this UNICEF: West and Central 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