Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female (%) (rate female) in Benin
Benin: Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female (%) (rate female) was 31.6% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Benin, 1979–2022
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Benin recorded 31.6% for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in 2022. That is the highest value across all 8 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 35.0% on the previous year and up 18.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Benin peaked at 31.6% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 6.3%, in 1979.
That places Benin 81st out of 88 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female (%) (rate female) in Benin, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 6.3% | — |
| 1992 | 13.1% | +106.3% |
| 2002 | 20.1% | +53.2% |
| 2013 | 26.6% | +32.6% |
| 2017 | 20.1% | -24.4% |
| 2019 | 27.8% | +38.2% |
| 2021 | 23.4% | -15.7% |
| 2022 | 31.6% | +35.0% |
Benin compared with similar countries
- Benin's 31.6% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 68.5%, 46% of the median. (30 countries reporting)
- Benin's 31.6% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 57.8%, 55% of the median. (28 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 6.3% | 6.3% | 6.3% | 1 |
| 1990s | 13.1% | 13.1% | 13.1% | 1 |
| 2000s | 20.1% | 20.1% | 20.1% | 1 |
| 2010s | 24.8% | 20.1% | 27.8% | 3 |
| 2020s | 27.5% | 23.4% | 31.6% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Benin
- 78 Ethiopia 37.2% compare
- 79 Cote d'Ivoire 33.2% compare
- 80 Senegal 32.9% compare
- 82 Burkina Faso 22.0% compare
- 83 Mali 21.5% compare
- 84 Sierra Leone 21.4% compare
More education data for Benin
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 57,296 (2022)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 209,295 (2022)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 85,495 (2022)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 84,746 (2022)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 929,099 (2022)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.40 million (2022)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 5.18 % change on previous year (2022)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2022)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1743 units per person (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Benin?
- Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female in Benin was 31.6% in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female recorded in Benin?
- The highest recorded value was 31.6% in 2022.
- What is the lowest literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female recorded in Benin?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.3% in 1979.
- How does Benin rank for literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female?
- Benin ranks 81st out of 88 countries with data for 2022.
- Is literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female rising or falling in Benin?
- Over the last ten years it is up 18.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Benin data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Literacy rate, population 25-64 years, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release